The Will of the Force
by Saru Senju
Summary: A young Chiss Jedi is hurled through 3000 years of time into the future. Now, he must not only learn the fate of those he knew, but he must also learn how to adapt to the new environment. Yet, through everything, he is determined to follow the Will of the Force.
1. Chapter 1: Mission to Hoth

"Focus, my child. Your mind is not on the present. Do it again." The blue-skinned being sighed and turned his training saber back on before twirling it in readiness. With the heavily studied and mastered movements of Form IV and Form VI, he attacked the training dummy with a dozen quick and precise strikes. The dummy's outer shell smoked from under the strain of forceful hits. Aciel brought his main-hand back and used the Force to violently push the training dummy into the wall, causing both the wall and the dummy to crack from the strength of his power. 

The Jedi walked over to study the damage; as soon as he touched the training equipment with his orange hand, it shattered and fell to the floor in a dozen pieces. Some of the stone wall broke off as well, making a picturesque scene of an accident. For something that was created to be incredibly hard to destroy, it surprised him that this child was able to just break it apart. 

The Kel-Dor Jedi Master sighed and shook his head, "We'll stop for today. You're clearly preoccupied about something…" The nine year old Chiss male deactivated the training saber and set it on one of the sparring room's weapon racks. He ran a hand through his long dark blue hair as his bright red eyes that lacked pupils glowed in the shadows. 

"You've been having visions again," Aciel's master said more as a statement than a question. "Yes, Master Till'in." The Chiss sighed and called his personal lightsaber to his hand from across the room, drawing the old Kel-Dor's attention to the weapon. He didn't realize the young boy was already permitted to build his personal weapon. "I see you've finally made your own lightsaber…I thought you would need a few more years to do that."

Aciel shook his head and used the Force to have it float two feet in front of the master's face. "I had a dream on what it would look like. The Force guides me; I merely follow its will. Plus Grandmaster Shan agreed that I should instantly obey." The Kel-Dor nodded and took his student's lightsaber in his right hand. He studied the hilt and weighed it in his orange palms. It was rather heavy, and long enough for the Jedi Master to hold it in both hands with three or four and a half inches out of his grip on either side. A long orange crystal glowed, giving off a dim light as it rotated an inch or so from below the emitter. The master ignited the lightsaber, casting a bright orange glow around the room.

"This is interesting; I've only seen two or three orange blades before. It's been quite a few years since I've seen a design similar to this too…It's a lot like your mother's, isn't it?" The Chiss nodded quietly again. His mind instantly pictured the frozen wastelands of Csilla where his family lived for millennia. Only a couple of outsiders have ever entered the Chiss Ascendancy's territory before; so for a Kel-Dor, much less a Jedi Master, to arrive on the home world was extraordinarily peculiar and dangerous. The Chiss were extremely wary of outsiders; it was considered highly improper and an act of war for a stranger to intrude upon the Ascendancy's borders.

A secretive and reclusive people, the inhabitants of Csilla rarely traveled out of their system except when the Sith Empire requested resources or personnel. Even then, only a handful of Chiss personally assisted the Imperial forces on Hoth and Dromund Kaas.

Once Aciel's father persuaded the Ascendancy that Till'in wasn't a spy or terrorist, the Kolarus family permitted the Jedi to stay. Eventually, the truth came out that Aciel's mother was actually trained as a Jedi before she requested to be sent back to the Chiss home world. The Jedi Temple on Coruscant had been obliterated by the newly-returned Sith Empire so what was left of the Council agreed. They sent her away for the next thirty years during which she would marry and have a son.

While few Chiss became Sith or agents for Imperial Intelligence, even fewer became Jedi. Practically none actually. Aciel's mother, Acena of the house of Kol'Arus, was one of the most powerful Jedi in the Order; she even surpassed the Grandmaster Satele Shan several times in battle. A prodigy would come every generation, and that was what she was. Now, Aciel completely surpassed his mother at age nine when she fully developed her skills at age forty-five. Many human Jedi had to quietly discipline themselves for envying them both. After all, the Chiss species were clearly superior to their human counterparts.

Master Till'in handed Aciel's lightsaber back and watched him clip it to his belt. The two walked through the Tython enclave's corridors toward the meditation gardens. They sat on the benches and relaxed in the silence of nature. It was very peaceful on Tython…once the Flesh Raiders were pacified and Kalikori village was safe; the new Jedi Temple was a beautiful example of archeology. Aciel closed his eyes and sensed the Force permeate the entire area; he sensed the hundreds of beings walking around the temple, talking, training, and meditating.

His senses fell onto the various members in the Jedi Council chambers. Satele Shan, Syo Bakarn, Jaric Kaedon, Tol Braga, Bela Kiwiiks, Orgus Din, Yuon Par. The Force surrounded them clearly, allowing Aciel to see how powerful they really were. The Force was so strong with him that he could even see what they were saying…they were talking about him. Why would they be discussing him during a Council meeting? Did he do something wrong?

His master's voice interrupted his concentration, "So what have your visions being telling you, Aciel?" The Chiss straightened his back and crossed his legs. "I don't know. It's confusing. I always see a cloaked figure…I think it's a Sith. A desert. A silver ship. A massive planet-city with thousands of species. Death…disaster…despair. And finally…nothing. Just empty blackness."

Master Till'in shivered when he felt Aciel's visions through the Force. Their bond was strong since the Kel-Dor was one of the few masters to actually try and get to know young Aciel. Till'in was close to Aciel's mother since they both trained at the Kamparas Jedi Training Facility.

Even so, he didn't know how a nine year old boy could remain so stoic and emotionless after such dreadful nightmares. He inwardly felt a sense of sadness and worry. For a child to bury his emotions so deeply…

"Master, your worry is unnecessary almost as much as it is incredibly loud." Aciel remained still with his eyes closed. "Your concern radiates off of you like Ashla sends off the brightness of the Light." The old Jedi chuckled and ruffled the boy's blue hair, mussing it up much to the Chiss' ever so slight chagrin. It took him several years to even get used to being touched by anyone but a fellow Chiss. "I had forgotten how attuned the Force makes you toward other's."

Aciel gave a strained smile to lighten the mood, "It is both a blessing and a curse, Master." He sighed and returned his face to his normal stoic, expressionless look; it was difficult to fake emotions he didn't feel. His mother had trained him since he was an infant to cut off his feelings. It was very helpful in sparring and studies in the Force, but when it came to socializing and making friends…well, Aciel was far below average. However, it did help him take a rather different view than the Jedi Code and its stringent beliefs. Soon, to the Jedi Council he became known as the Shadow between the Force…a Padawan beyond Light and Dark.

Master Till'in sighed and crossed his arms; the sleeves of his dark brown robe flowed down and reached his knees. "I know you are incredibly strong in the Force, Aciel. After all, you are the son of Acena'kol'Arus. But I think you need to try and make some friends. Being a Jedi doesn't mean you can't create bonds with your fellow padawans. You are young and full of life. Why not spend time with others?"

Aciel slumped his shoulders and watched a small bird perch on the beautifully trimmed bushes. "It would cut into my meditation and lightsaber practice. I also am trying to master a new Force ability. Plus, everyone else likes that horrible hot weather. It's awful."

The Kel-Dor chuckled again and nodded in understanding, "I know what you mean. Ever since we left Csilla, I feel like everything is at least 40 degrees warmer." Aciel sighed, "Now imagine if you lived on Csilla for six years…" One of the Jedi Watchmen walked up to the sitting duo before bowing, "Master Till'in, the Council has summoned you and Padawan Aciel to their chambers immediately."

"What do they want to talk about?" The Chiss boy studied the six foot human Jedi in front of him. "It is not my place to say, Padawan." Aciel sighed and calmly waved his hand in front of him, "You want to tell me everything you heard the Council say." Master Till'in shook his head in desperation. "I thought I told you NOT to do that unless it's necessary—"

"I want to tell you everything I heard the Council say…" Till'in eyes went wide behind the black coverings. For a mere boy to overpower the Watchman's force of will was incredible; it didn't completely surprise him, however, that Aciel was able to do so. The human Jedi's face went blank as he began to explain. "Grandmaster Satele said that you might be given a mission to Hoth…the other council members will discuss further details when you arrive."

Aciel, unguarded and surprised, let a genuine smile spread on his face. This didn't go unnoticed by his master though; he figured it was because the young Kol'Arus would finally get to visit a planet like his home world. Frozen wastelands were the boy's favorite places to be. The cold weather helped him unwind. The Chiss quickly covered his smile with a neutral face before looking back up at the human. "You want to escort us to the Council Chambers…"

"I want to escort you to the Council Chambers."

"Aciel, that's enough." Till'in stood and looked down at the cross-legged boy. The Chiss sighed and stood, "Any Jedi that can fall for such a low quality Force trick deserves to have it happen to them, Master."

The Kel-Dor sighed, "That's like saying the young calves should be pushed off a mountain merely because they don't have wings." The Chiss shook his head, "That's different. If calves had wings, then they'd have to be pushed off a mountain sooner or later. A Jedi Watchman should already know enough to NOT be tricked by a child."

They followed the human Jedi back into the Temple and up the huge staircase. All around them, padawans and masters walked about or talked in hushed and reverent whispers. Aciel could see the beautiful blue glow of the massive Jedi Archive filled with knowledge from almost every known planet. It was the Kolarus's second favorite place to be, the first being his private quarters with the temperature down at 12 degrees.

The three Jedi arrived at the Council Chamber's doors. The Watchman bowed and left; his ears became red when he realized he had just been tricked by a mere child. The Kel-Dor straightened his robes and allowed his padawan time to do the same. "Ready, Aciel?"

"Yes, Master." They stepped forward and the tall, decorative doors immediately slid open. Aciel followed the old master to a large circular table with twelve seats around it in a semicircle. Only about half of the seats were occupied due to the Sith's crippling blow to the Jedi Order. Aciel's mother was also once a council member, but her departure lessened the number even further.

Till'in and Aciel gave a deep, low bow, "You summoned us, Masters?" Master Syo nodded and gave a kind smile, "Yes. We wanted to talk about Aciel's future in the Jedi Order." Bakarn and Din looked at the nine year old boy from their seats; they both had taken a great interest in Acena's only child. When he was still in the womb, Aciel moved furniture about the dwelling and even caused massive glacial shifts on Csilla's upper crust, sending the unknowing populous into fits of anxiousness and concern. It was incredibly rare for such a boy to wield the Force so powerfully and effectively before he was even born.

Aciel raised an eyebrow, "My future, Master Syo?" The young Kol'Arus always had a keen bond with the older human. While he typically disliked interacting with others, Syo Bakarn was something akin to an uncle or grandfather. The Corellian noble had spent several years teaching the Chiss on Jedi philosophy and the art of healing, and Aciel loved every minute of it. They would debate and argue for hours on end while enjoying a bottle or two of Corellian ale. The grey-haired human was hesitant on permitting Aciel to drink, but Master Orgus and Master Braga assured him that the Chiss species were practically unable to become drunk; something about the evolution and superiority of their species.

All in all, in the entire galaxy filled with millions of species and civilizations, Aciel's mother and the Jedi in this room were the only people that he cared about. If anything were to happen to them…he admitted he probably would not handle it well. Syo's voice brought the Chiss boy's attention back. "Yes, young Aciel. All good, I assure you!"

Master Orgus cleared his throat, "We have been discussing your previous trials here on Tython. The Force was truly with you when you managed to open peace-talks between the Jedi and the Flesh Raider Elders."

"We were also greatly impressed at your devotedness toward helping the Twi'leks of Kalikori Village with their farming and raising of livestock…even when your masters ordered you to be completely hands-off." Master Kiwiiks gave a faint smile at the stoic boy. He reminded the Togruta so much of his mother. The emotionless, almost robotic façade on the outside with an ever so slight hint of compassion and kindness in his pure red eyes.

Satele pressed a few buttons on the table, bringing up a hologram of the galaxy. "We have decided to include you, Aciel, in a mission to the ice-world of Hoth. Some SIS agents have sent a few reports that Darth Malevolence and Darth Nox of the Dark Council have unearthed an ancient Rakatan device of considerable power. What it does is not entirely known, but when a member of the Dark Council is involved, it cannot be good."

A murmur of agreement spread about the room. Jaric Kaedon pressed another button on the panel, bringing up a holographic image of strategic placements. He stood and pointed at the flickering blue images, "There will be three squads of Republic troopers with a Jedi leading each squad. Each will take different routes to the point of attack, catching the Imperial scum off guard."

Aciel winced a fraction, but quickly covered it. It was no secret that the Chiss and the Ascendancy were the Empire's only official allies, thus making the Aciel's people part of the Imperial scum the human Jedi spoke of. Master Yuon caught the boy's miniscule reaction, however, before glaring at her fellow Jedi. "Jaric, please watch what you say." The man gave a questioning look; his eyes widened when Yuon inclined her head slightly toward the young Chiss boy.

"I…er, I mean the Imperials and Sith."

Aciel cleared his throat and plastered a fake smile on his face, "You were quite right, Master Kaedon, when you called them that. Any creature that denies the basic rights of the sentient individual is nothing more than scum." The room became silent. Each master realized that Aciel had sensed just what they were saying without even speaking a word. Master Syo chuckled and leaned back in his council seat, "Well put, young Aciel. Master Kaedon, please continue."

The short haired brunet nodded and pointed at the hologram again. "The Jedi taskforce will rendezvous with the troopers at one of the Republic bases. Master Braga will lead Hawk Squad to the south. Master Bakarn will take Wampa Squad to the west; the third team, Rancor Squad, will enter to the north. All three squads will converge on Sector 008 and intercept the two Dark Lords most likely before they make contact with their Imperial escorts."

Tol Braga decided to interject, "Which brings us to your part in this, young Aciel. In this mission, we would naturally send no one less than a Jedi Master…" The Grandmaster stood, signaling the rest of the Council to stand as well, "Do you accept, Aciel'Kol'Arus, the position of Master of the Jedi Order?" The room went silent again as all the masters held their breath in anticipation. They waited…and waited…

Aciel's red eyes were only slightly wider than usual. He held his emotional reaction in extreme check with great difficulty. "Masters…you…are you certain? I am only nine years old; what have I done to earn such an honor?" Master Kiwiiks smiled, "As one of Syo's greatest pupils once said, 'Youth is a matter of perspective. A Jedi is trained from an early age to do what he think he cannot.'"

Yuon nodded, "You have more than proved yourself; time and time again you followed the will of the Force when most people wouldn't. This is further proven by your devotion to the Order's Archives and studying the Force." An hour passed as all of the Jedi masters gave distinct examples of the Chiss boy's devotion to the Jedi Order and the Republic. His mastery of the lightsaber and the Force was legendary, and making him a Jedi master would clearly benefit the decimated Order.

After a few quiet moments of intense thinking, Aciel sighed and nodded, "I accept this honor with great humility." Syo smiled down at the boy, "Then kneel, and your master will bear witness." The Chiss knelt on the stone floor and looked down. Grandmaster Satele began, "We are one voice, one Order, bound together by the Force."

Master Kaedon spoke next, "Through his actions, this young Jedi has proved worthy before our Order and the Force itself!" Master Bakarn held his fatherly smile toward the boy. It was a miracle such a child existed, and he was proud it was his adopted nephew. "We grant you, Aciel'Kol'Arus, the rank of Jedi Master. Protect and guide the Republic as the Force guides you."

"Rise. And may the Force be with you." Aciel stood and gave a small smile. If only his mother could see him now…Master Braga clasped his hands in front of him, "It is my greatest pleasure to welcome you as a fellow master, young Aciel."

The Chiss bowed; his face took on his typical stoic form. "Thank you, Masters. You will not regret this…when do we depart on this mission?" The Kel-Dor Council member walked around the table, "We will be leaving in three hours. We need to get to Hoth as quickly as possible; pack your equipment and come to the shuttle bay when the time comes. And Master Kol'Arus…may the Force be with you."

THREE HOURS LATER

Aciel slid on a white outer robe that had deep blue writing along the hems. He took a moment to glance in the mirror to make sure everything looked correct. He sighed and hung his head; he had a bad feeling ever since he finished packing. Was the Force trying to tell him something? Or was it just the anxiety of facing two extremely powerful Sith lords? Aciel had fought and defeated a few Sith before, but a Dark Council member like Darth Nox would be an incredibly difficult opponent. A beep rang out, signaling someone wanted to come into his room.

"Enter."

The door slid open and his old master stepped in; Aciel gave a deep bow in respect. "Master Till'in, what can I do for you?" The orange skinned Jedi shivered as he walked further in, "I see you still keep it a little cooler than normal."

"I apologize, Master. It is unusual for me to receive visitors." Aciel walked to a small panel on the wall and increased the temperature 70 degrees, making it 82. He never understood how people could tolerate the heat so well. The Kel-Dor sat on the backless, circular seat and crossed his arms. "I appreciate it. I just wanted to check on you. I felt your uneasiness from across the temple…are you alright?" Aciel sat on the other chair across from Till'in and crossed his arms as well. Master Till'in had long since figured out that crossing the arms was a common habit for the Chiss boy when he was concerned.

Aciel crossed his legs as well in a meditative position before sighing, "There is a disturbance…it's unnatural. Elusive. Dangerous. And I cannot tell if it has something to do with me or this mission, but there is something…personal about it."

The two spent a few minutes in silence. The old master had a close bond with the boy, and he could feel the concern radiate from the newly appointed master. It was incredibly rare for the usually emotionless child to be worried; emotional control was never a problem for him. "If you feel this disturbance so acutely, perhaps you should remain here. It is unwise to enter a confrontation when you are so conflicted, especially for you. The Force is incredibly strong with you; you cannot become unbalanced." The Chiss' red eyes flickered to his master's black eye coverings. "That is not necessary. I will continue on this mission. I follow the will of the Force, and if it guides me to Hoth…so be it."

"But—"

Another beep sounded at the door. Aciel stood and smoothed his robes, "Enter." This time Syo Bakarn and Tol Braga entered. The Kol'Arus's room was getting a bit crowded. Not only was it a relatively small space, the Chiss did not like begin around more than one or two people. Aciel bowed once more, "Welcome, Masters. What can I do for you?" The Council members exchanged glances before sitting on the boy's bed. Master Braga cleared his throat, "We have received a transmission from the _Wraith's Mantle_ …"

"My mother's ship?" The two masters nodded silently. "May I ask what the message said?" Syo sighed and motioned for Aciel to stand in front of him. "From what we could hear, Acena's ship was taking extensive damage from an Imperial dreadnaught…the _Defiant_." Aciel's gaze darkened as he pieced the information together. "Lord Malevolence's ship…I thought he was supposed to be on Hoth." Master Bakarn nodded with his eyebrows furrowed. "He is. The transmission cut off when Master Acena was seen taken captive. So we must assume that the dreadnaught either took the chance of attacking a Republic ship for no reason or…"

"…or they were under orders." Aciel finished the man's sentence. It was a logical move for the Dark Lord. "Our security has been compromised. If Lord Malevolence did indeed send his ship under orders, then he most likely knew he and Darth Nox would be meeting a Jedi force of some kind…he could use Master Kol'Arus as leverage." Master Till'in reached out with the Force to comfort his student, but he only found peace and contentment. With his eyes still on Aciel, he addressed the Council members. "What do you suggest we do? If the Sith are expecting us, we should reassess the situation and—"

"No."

The three adults looked at the blue skinned boy with curiosity and concern. Syo leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "What do you mean 'no'?" Aciel stood and paced his room slowly. "We must not change our plans only because a Jedi was caught, regardless who it is. This is far bigger than a single individual. Besides…we could use her to our advantage."

"Advantage? I know you are a Jedi, Aciel, but this IS your mother we are talking about. You shouldn't treat her as only a card of pazaak." Aciel turned to face his questioner, "With all due respect, Master Braga, this is not the time to reflect on sentimentality or bonds. To keep an objective viewpoint and solve this problem, we must look at this as an equation. My mother is just another variable; the end result must still remain the same. We must stop the Sith from using the artifact."

Aciel resumed pacing with his hands clasped behind his back; the three other masters leaned forward as they strained to hear his mutterings.

"Yes…yes, she will be an advantage. Darth Malevolence will use her as bait to get us to focus on her rescue. Most likely he will torture her so the Force will scream at us. He must believe the Jedi are too soft-hearted to ignore one of their own…we can use that. His ignorance will blind him to the fact we will ignore her all together and choose to focus on the Rakatan artifact. This will divide not only their attention but also their forces. Darth Malevolence will no doubt take at least half of their assigned troops to confront us when we make our 'valiant rescue'."

Syo shared another glance with Braga. Aciel could clearly see the situation and created countermeasures…even though his own mother would suffer and perhaps die. Was he willing to go so far as to let her be killed? They turned back to the child and saw him looking in the mirror; his eyes were narrowed and focused. "Do you feel it, Masters?" The three looked at each other and shook their heads. "No…we do not feel anything. What do you feel, Aciel?"

The boy sighed and closed his eyes, "They've already begun torturing her. I can feel her pain…she's closing off her mind…" Master Bakarn stood and made his way over to his nephew, "I'm sorry, son. We'll get her out of there as quickly as we can."

"You need not apologize, Master Syo. Like me, my mother follows the will of the Force. If it is her time to become one with it, she will gladly accept. But at least we know she is still alive; her usefulness is obviously not over yet…it's time to leave, Masters." The group nodded silently and departed Aciel's room, leaving him alone. He reset his room's temperature to 12 degrees before looking back into the mirror. He touched his chin; he could see his mother in his face. He closed his eyes and reached out to the woman. ' _Mother…forgive me._ '

' _I and the Force are with you always, Aciel…remember me._ ' Aciel gave the faintest smile before cutting off the telepathic bond. He grabbed his lightsaber from the wooden stand on his dresser and clipped it on his belt. After checking everything once more, he made his way to the shuttle bay.

The flight to Hoth was quiet. The only noise came from the engines and the small slaps of cards being played by Masters Bakarn and Braga. Even though they were two of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy, they still knew how to have some diversion from the dangers they would be facing in a few hours. Aciel meditated silently in the darkness of the cargo hold; he was trying to perform the difficult and unusual art of Battle Meditation. After another hour, the intercom fizzled on.

" **Master Jedi, we are preparing to land. We will arrive at the base in four minutes.** " The Jedi quietly thanked the pilot and copilot as they pulled on their outer robes. They balanced themselves when the ship shifted from landing on the base's shuttle bay. Aciel followed the two elder masters out and disembarked from the ship. The tall, battle-worn Base Commander walked over and saluted, "Welcome to Aurek Base, Master Jedi…and padawan. I am Base Commander Talon; at your service." Syo and Tol glanced at each other before chuckling. Aciel gave a small smile and chuckled as well, "Thank you, Commander. It is nice to finally be on a planet with such a wonderful environment."

The Commander raised an eyebrow at the child's familiarity, "Give it time and you'll come to hate. Now then, I thought there were supposed to be THREE masters. No one said anything about a Jedi child…" Braga rested his orange hand on Aciel's shoulder, "There are three. Aciel'Kol'Arus is the youngest master of our Order. He will be taking over Rancor squad." The human soldier's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "Your trusting an entire squad of the Republic's finest to the hands of a child?!" Aciel waited silently until the man was finished ranting. The commander was huffing from using so much hot air; the Chiss gave a sigh and crossed his arms. "Are you finished? We have a mission to get underway."

"I am NOT giving a child a whole squad. He will just have to go with one of you Jedi." Syo was about to say something but Aciel raised a hand for silence. He looked deep into the commander's brown eyes, "You will permit us to continue our mission, no questions asked…"

The man's face went black as he nodded, "I will permit you to continue your mission, no questions asked…"

"You want to escort us to Hawk, Wampa, and Rancor squads immediately…"

"I…I want to escort you to Hawk, Wampa, and Rancor squads immediately…" The commander gave a quick turn and began walking away. Aciel started to follow him, but Syo held him back. "Did Master Till'in not teach you patience and understanding?" Aciel nodded, "Yes, but at our current pace we will waste approximately twenty minutes and thirteen seconds. Time is of the essence." Syo released the boy's shoulder and nodded; The Kol'Arus was very persuasive…in more ways than one. The three master hurried to catch up to the Commander Talon.

After a hurried walk throughout Aurek, they finally arrived at the troop deployment center. Three squads of seven men stood at attention with their rifles strapped on their right shoulders. Commander Talon put his hands behind his back and inspected the troops. The three masters arrived a few minutes later.

"ATTENTION!"

The highly trained soldiers stood straight with their hands at their sides. Talon stepped forward and saluted, "Your squads, Master Jedi. Ready for inspection!" The three Jedi split up to their own troops and inspected them. Using the Force, Aciel studied each trooper in Rancor Squad. His mind suddenly found something unusual in one of the soldiers toward the back. He silently walked over and crossed his arms, "What is your name, Corporal?"

"Dextrin Firr, sir." Aciel nodded and walked around him in a circle. "Please, remove your helmet." The trooper paused as he looked down, "Sir?" Aciel didn't even blink; he stared up at the head covering. "Remove your helmet, Corporal Firr." Syo and Braga walked over with the commander. "Young Aciel, is there a problem here?" The Chiss smirked, "It depends."

The trooper removed his helmet, revealing a tanned human with bright blue eyes and short blond hair. Aciel nodded his approval, "What is your home planet, Corporal?" The man cleared his throat; the young Jedi noticed he suddenly became extremely nervous, but he hid it well. "Corellia, sir." Syo looked down at his nephew in confusion. "What is the problem, Kol'Arus?" The Chiss pulled out his lightsaber, but left it off. The crystal still cast an orange glow on his white robes.

"I believe I have found our security breach. Corporal Dextrin Firr…if that IS your name, you are under arrest for espionage and sabotage of a Republic Task Force mission. Come quietly or I will have to use force." Syo and Braga also took out their lightsabers, but were pushed aside. The spy raced for exit as the troopers readied their rifles and had their sights trained on his head. Aciel did a huge Force jump over the three squads before landing on his feet, "HOLD YOUR FIRE! I WANT HIM ALIVE!" He ignited his orange lightsaber and raced after the soldier. Bakarn and Braga chuckled and placed their lightsabers back at their hips. Commander Talon just got over his shock, "Aren't you going to go after him?! What kind of Jedi are you?!"

Syo placed a hand on the man's shoulder, "Take it easy, Commander. Aciel is a Jedi Master after all, and he's apprehended much more dangerous people than your corporal." Master Braga nodded and looked at Talon, "You should know, he was the Jedi that captured and arrested Grand Moff Terres."

"Th-That child…he was the…you're joking! You ARE joking…right?" Both Jedi shook their heads with smiles, "We are not joking. Aciel managed to subdue one of the most powerful Moffs of the Imperial Navy and only suffered a single scratch." Aciel walked back into the room with the unconscious man's collar in his fist. He dropped the man to the floor and sighed, "You'd think Republic defectors would be trained better for such risks. Commander Talon, secure this man in the brig until we return. In the meantime, we should start out for Sector 008." The man nodded and called for some guards. It was only when they picked him up that they saw the traitor was missing both hands.

Each squad and its respective Jedi walked to a shuttle. Master Bakarn called them over and explained the mission in further detail. Once everything was laid out, they climbed into each shuttle and took off for their drop-points.

Aciel stepped aboard when the last soldier entered. He walked up to the cockpit and told the pilot the coordinates they needed to reach. With that finished, the Chiss walked back to the main platform amongst the fighting men. He could feel their doubts about him; he could hear their thoughts on what to do if 'the Imperial alien child' gets killed. He sighed and crossed his arms again before closing his eyes and entering a deep concentrated state. Forty minutes passed in silence. No joking. No chatter. It was extremely pleasant in the silence; the cold air permeated the shuttle and made a somewhat pleasant atmosphere for the boy.

He opened his eyes and spoke loudly, "Pilot! Put the shuttle down here!" The soldiers around the Chiss looked at each other through their helmets. "Aye, sir." The shuttle quickly landed on the icy terrain and opened its doors. Rancor Squad jumped out and looked around. Major Tellani, a Rodian in charge of the squad, walked up to the exiting Chiss. "Master Jedi, why have we stopped? The drop-point is a half mile farther." Aciel pulled up his white hood; if it wasn't for the blue skin and red eyes, he would have perfectly blended into the environment. "I sensed that the Imperials have set up anti-aircraft and patrols. We would have been shot out of the sky."

Aciel looked at the five men standing alert and ready. "We are finishing the trek on foot! Activate your thermal suits and walk single file. Understood?" He received a chorus of 'yessir!' before they quickly obeyed. Aciel had to admit these were by far the most disciplined soldiers he had to lead. They began walking the next half mile, dodging patrols and maneuvering around the various Imperial camps. In fifteen minutes they arrived at the drop-point. Aciel signaled for the major to join him up front. He pointed toward a cave's entrance and looked at the Rodian. "It seems our defector told them more than I originally anticipated…two squads covering the entrance, most likely a few more inside. I want you and your men to put away your weapons and march in formation with me."

"What?! These men are trained killers! We can handle any amount of soldiers they have!" Aciel offered a small smile to help the major relax. "Of that I am certain, Major Tellani. However, if there is a battle, it will alert any other enemies. Trust in the Force, Major. Trust in me." After a few seconds of studying the child, Tellani nodded and passed on the orders to his five men. Aciel took a few more minutes to watch the guards until he looked back at the Republic forces. "Let's go, men. Remember, do not draw your weapons. Remain calm and relaxed…follow me."

The seven made their way down to the mouth of the cave. Imperial soldiers drew their blasters and took aim as an Imperial colonel stepped forward. Aciel glanced back at his men in formation; not a single one showed fear nor drew their weapon. They followed his orders perfectly. "Jedi child and Republic forces, this is an Imperial Outpost. Surrender your weapons and yourselves or we will open fire." The Chiss suppressed a smile. It had been a while since he heard the typical Imperial accent. He took a step forward and bowed, "Thank you for your hospitality." He looked up at the colonel and pulled a datapad from his robe, "Darth Nox is expecting us. You will let us pass."

The colonel's face went blank, "Darth Nox is expecting you. I will let you pass." He signaled for his men to lower their weapons, but Aciel still stared into his face. "You will order your men to get into formation and remove their helmets." Once again the man repeated what the young Jedi said; the Imperial soldiers quickly obeyed, but their confusion was obvious. Aciel stepped forward to address the men, "You all want to assist us in the assassination of Darth Malevolence and Darth Nox."

"We all want to assist you in the assassination of Darth Malevolence and Darth Nox…" The Republic soldiers stared in wonder and amazement. At first they didn't really know about or want to follow the boy's orders. They silently wished they had more faith in him. The infiltration team grew by fifteen men, and they silently walked into the cave in search of the Dark Council member.

Major Tellani caught up to Aciel and cleared his throat. "Yes, Major. What can I do for you?" The Rodian kept his eyes forward in alert. "I was just curious about the datapad. If you used a mind trick or whatever it's called, then it wouldn't have been needed, right?" Aciel chuckled and nodded, "That would be true if there weren't another two or three squads studying our every move. It was more of a mutual benefit ploy. If they became suspicious, they would alert every patrol in the region. With the datapad, it looked as if we had important business to attend to."

Tellani looked down with wide eyes and open mouth. This Jedi…this boy was astounding. He maintained a calm and appropriate demeanor even when he knew they were completely surrounded. Now that he thought about it, telling Rancor squad such information would cause them to panic. Even though they fought many battles and were hardened veterans, they were still just people. They continued walking deeper into the lit cave. The chill still hung in the air, and Tellani felt like his antennae were freezing over. Aciel pulled down his white hood and sighed, "It's getting warmer. There must be thermal generator giving off heat…"

"How can you tell it's getting warmer? It's still freezing to us."

The Chiss chuckled and nodded, "I usually keep my Temple room a little lower than this. I find the cold rather relaxing…" The Rodian shook his head and shivered. He couldn't understand how anyone liked it this cold. After another minute or so of walking, the group entered a massive cavern that seemed to have a natural light source. The room glowed a bright blue and purple. Aciel signaled the new task force to spread along the walls in a semicircle. The Republic and Imperial soldiers obeyed and covered the area; their blasters ready for anything. Aciel walked to the center of the room and studied the layout. Two tunnels formed the entrances and exits. He closed his eyes and reached out with the Force, trying to find his mother or Syo and Tol. Something was blocking his connection to them.

A dark chuckle sounded from one of the shadows. Aciel calmed himself and turned to face the darksider; when he looked at the shadows, a middle-aged human male with deathly pale skin and black veins stalked out of the darkness. In his left hand was a beaten and bleeding Chiss woman who appeared to be within an inch of her life. "Aciel…" The Sith kicked the woman in her side, making her let out a deep grunt filled with pain and anguish.

"So YOU are this alien freak's son…pathetic. You reek of weakness and idiocy, just like your failure of a mother." Aciel took a deep breath, "Darth Malevolence. Release Master Kol'Arus and surrender. You are surrounded; I promise mercy if you comply." The Sith let out a deep, guttural laugh that was filled with anger and arrogance. "I can handle a Jedi youngling and some pathetic Republic worms." Aciel sighed and uncrossed his arms, letting his robe's long sleeves pass his hands. At that moment, Syo Bakarn and Tol Braga entered with three other Republic soldiers.

"Glad you could join us, Masters…where are the rest of your squads?"

Syo pulled his lightsaber out and glared at the Sith lord, "We were ambushed by a battalion of Imperial soldiers. Where is your squad? Were you ambushed as well?" Aciel shook his head, "Not exactly. I actually made a few friends along the way." All the troops stepped forward, showing the two newly-arrived masters twenty-one Imperial and Republic soldiers. They guffawed in disbelief; only Aciel could make diehard Imperials fight their Sith overlords.

"You think they can stop me?! Ha! Foolish Jedi scum, witness the destruction of your charges!" Malevolence raised his hand and all twenty-one soldiers were raised into the air, gasping and choking for breath. Bakarn and Braga charged the Sith, but were too late. Malevolence clenched his fist, crushing all of the soldier's throat and ending their lives. Aciel flinched as he felt the life leave their bodies. He sensed the Force writhe like a wounded krayt dragon. It became unbalanced at such a misuse of power. Syo ran over to one of the crumpled bodies and tried to find a pulse. Nothing. He knelt down to Major Tellani, but he was also dead. The old man sighed. It was such a waste.

Aciel felt himself slipping into grief; through the Force, every single flame being snuffed out was like a needle to the eye. He turned to face the Dark Lord as he tried to control him emotions. "Where is Darth Nox?" The Sith cackled again before shooting lightning from his hands directly at the child. Syo jumped up, "ACIEL!" The Chiss shook his head and radiated calm and peace. He held up his hands and absorbed the lightning into his palms. The Force became visual as it swirled around his hands and mixed with the darkside's lightning.

His red eyes looked deep into the Sith lord's yellow ones, "Your anger and hatred have consumed you, Lord Malevolence. I sense that you are completely submerged in the darkside of the Force…I cannot allow you to continue." With that, Aciel pushed the lightning back at its source, electrifying the man and making him scream in agony. His pain just pushed him further, however, and he deflected the remainder of lightning. "That's it you alien brat! I'm going to make you suffer!"

Darth Malevolence pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it, casting a bright red light around the cavern. With the raising of his left hand, he levitated Aciel's mother off the ground and held her in front of him. Aciel took a single step forward, "Resist this path, Malevolence." A wicked grin flashed across the man's face before he vertically sliced Acena in half from top to bottom. Her scream died out as the pieces fell to the ground. Aciel's eyes narrowed while Syo and Braga were stunned silent. They looked at the woman's son and saw him take one more step forward.

"You failed, alien scum. You killed your mother because you were weak! Join me, and together we will make you stronger than any Jedi! With your power and mine, we could rule the Sith together!" Aciel, for the first time anyone has ever heard, let out a laugh. Master Syo extinguished his lightsaber and ran over, but the Chiss moved his hand, using the Force to push him away. The cavern's floor began to crack from the amount of Aciel's power. "Remember your training, Aciel! There is no emotion; there is peace!" Master Braga was sent skidding back; he hit his head on the rocks, making him black out. It was obvious that Aciel was ignoring his plea to calm down.

Aciel took another step toward the Sith. "Are you going to fight me, Jedi child?! Do you seriously think you can kill Darth Nox' favorite apprentice?! Well, come on! Unleash your hatred. Strike me down! Only then will you be strong enough to protect the ones you love!" The Chiss laughed again, causing a huge crack to travel down the cavern's wall behind Malevolence. He sensed a powerful presence behind him so he turned to face it. A tall creature with a mask covering his face stood over the crumpled bodies of Republic and Imperial soldiers. Aciel immediately recognized who it was…Darth Nox. "That's enough, Apprentice. This Jedi…this child is strong in the Force. You will not be able to kill him."

"But, Master—"

Darth Malevolence's rebuttal was cut off as he was levitated in the air; he frantically grasped his throat at an invisible hand as he tried to breath. Master Syo looked over and saw what was happening; while Aciel looked stoic and emotionless, the Force around him was disturbing. Was the boy finally losing control? After all these years, this was the first time Aciel had tapped into the Darkside. Aciel gave a small bow, "Darth Nox, you presence honors me. Surrender, and I will show you mercy. Otherwise…"

The boy cracked his neck before crushing Malevolence's throat just as he once did for the troopers. The limp body fell to the ground head first, creating a sickening thud sound throughout the cavern. Darth Nox chuckled and crossed his arms, "Well done, Jedi child. You have just taken the first step to the darkside. You will make an excellent Sith…Aciel." The Chiss frowned and shook his head, "No. I will not." With that, Aciel used the Force to pick up a dozen massive boulders and hurled them at the Dark Council member. Nox dodged the attack with ease, "Foolish child. You are no match me. I've killed enough of your kind to know that you will fail."

Master Syo ignited his lightsaber again before leaping at the Dark Lord with extreme prejudice. Nox gave a deep laugh as he pulled his own lightsaber out and countered. The two masters of Light and Darkness exchanged parries and thrusts, but the Bakarn was beaten back. The Darth kicked Syo in the chest and sent him flying back in pain. Nox performed a Force jump and was a few feet from delivering the killing blow, but it was blocked by a sudden flash of orange. The Sith looked at the bright blade in surprise. He had only seen an orange lightsaber once before…on Kashyyk.

He didn't have much time to reminisce due to the fact Aciel immediately went on the offensive. He steadied his footwork, but the Chiss child kept coming at him with a fierceness he had not experienced since Darth Thanaton. He unleashed his mind to the darkside of the Force, allowing himself to become rage and anger incarnate. A few blows began to show him as the victor as he sent Aciel flying back with a Force push. Master Braga finally awoke and saw Aciel hitting the other side of the cavern. He sensed the darkside permeate the area around the boy he saw as a nephew. He ran over to Syo Bakarn and began healing him; within a few seconds the human Jedi woke and sat up. The entire cavern was filled with flashing lights. The colors of glowing rocks were drowned out by huge waves of orange and red. The two Jedi could hear dozens of clashes from the others' lightsabers.

"Syo, we must help young Aciel. The Force around him is different now." The human Jedi nodded with worry, "Yes…I sense it too. And he's showing emotion…" The two ignited their lightsabers and joined the fray; Darth Nox roared with laughter as he fought all three Jedi masters. His form was practically flawless, and the older men were beginning to get worn out. It had been many years since they fought such a powerful Sith, and it was obvious the Dark Council member was still young and full of vigor. Aciel laughed again as he blocked and countered the older man's red lightsaber. ' _This feeling…is this…excitement?!_ '

The other Sith he had fought were completely inferior to Darth Nox. This Sith was powerful. He was strong. He was Rage. He was Hatred. He was the darkside incarnate…and it thrilled Aciel that he had the chance to deal a crippling blow to the Empire that practically enslaved his people. The red lightsaber swept at the Jedi's feet, sending the older men off balance. Darth Nox quickly took advantage of their weakness and kicked them in their chests again. They crumpled to the ground as they tried to recover from having the wind knocked out of their lungs. Darth Nox brought his lightsaber above his head to kill them both quickly, but Aciel had different plans. He put away his lightsaber and used his right hand to hold the Sith's lightsaber back with the Force. With his left hand, he called the Force to him and sent the dark lord flying back into another wall.

Darth Nox coughed deeply; he felt that a few ribs were broken and apparently the Jedi child's lightsaber had cut into his arm. He delved into the darkside so deeply that he didn't even notice the pain. The Sith couldn't remember the last time someone managed to hit him with a lightsaber, yet this mere child did just that. Nox looked around and froze when he saw Aciel jump from one side of the cavern to right in front of him. His gaze was hard and cold. It was not the look of a Jedi.

"You…will not touch them." The boy's voice was menacing and threatening. Darth Nox chuckled and brought his lightsaber back out, but Aciel was too fast. He sliced the emitter clean from the hilt, bringing an end to the renowned Sith's weapon. "Yes…use your hatred. Kill me, and claim your place in the Sith!" The dark lord could see the boy trying to suppress his emotions, and he was doing extremely well. The Force was stronger in this child than in any of the Dark Council. Syo managed to sit up and rest on his knees. He saw Aciel holding the Sith against the wall with the Force, but the energy around him…it was darkness. Could a boy actually be able to hide such emotions and feelings from the Council?

The man shook his head. No. Aciel was a Master of the Jedi Order; he would not succumb to the darkside no matter how much he felt tempted. "Aciel! Do not believe him! You are a Jedi! You are the son of Acena!" For a brief moment, the boy's eyes flickered over to his uncle. This was enough distraction for Darth Nox to break the hold and attack the child with purple Force lightning. Aciel grunted in pain, but he did not scream. He refused to show his agony. He wouldn't give the Sith the privilege of hearing what he felt. He attempted to deflect the lightning like earlier, but it was too late. The Force had momentarily left him. He silently cursed under his breath for falling to the Sith's taunts.

The lightning continued to pour from the dark lord's fingertips. Aciel noticed that there wasn't as much power as before. He stood up and slowly inched toward the Sith. His hands and legs were numb from the constant barrage on his nervous system, but he refused to kneel in pain any longer. Inch by inch he fought against the desire to release his emotions and fight the Sith lord using the darkside. His uncle was right; he was a Jedi and Acena's son. He was only five feet away when Darth Nox pushed him a hundred feet back with a massive Force push. Aciel felt his head getting lighter. This was not good; he couldn't afford to give the Sith yet another advantage. Too much was lost already. With the lightning ended, Aciel could finally breathe and rest.

' _There is no emotion; there is peace…_ ' Aciel sat on the ground and took a meditative posture. His hands remained at this knees as he began to control his breathing. The Force returned to him while he began to shut off every emotion he had. His mind focused on strategy and battle as his spirit focused on banishing the darkness from his heart. Master Braga and Master Syo ran to him and stood on either side before igniting their lightsabers. This was the last time they were going to let the Dark Lord injure him. Neither had been on a mission with the Chiss boy before so they couldn't know that he always insisted on taking the brunt of the damage instead of his team. He was used to pain and injury, yet it would hurt him more if his teammates suffered do to his selfishness. Aciel set his lightsaber in front of him and began calculating.

Darth Nox tapped into the deepest recesses of his pain and hatred. He had made his plans now, and these old men will NOT interfere. He pulled a round metallic object from his robes and sliced open his palm with a hidden blade. Drops of blood fell onto the orb, causing it to give off a white light. Aciel's eyes opened and he pointed toward the Sith, "Stop him! He's activating the Rakatan artifact!"

Syo and Tol didn't bother to wait or question him. With the skill of decades of training and strategy, the two immediately leaped into action. Nox used the Force to send a massive wave against them, but they dodged it easily. Bakarn's once kind eyes held a hidden rage. He couldn't believe he let his nephew suffer like that…and he couldn't stop this Sith from taking Acena's life. He was going to kill Nox if it was the last thing he did.

"Careful, Master Bakarn. Do not let your anger cloud your mind." Master Braga swiped at the Dark Lord's legs, but it was dodged at the last second. Darth Nox let out a deep laugh as the two masters attempted to cut him down. Blue and green flashed around the black shadow as they battled. The forty-five seconds felt like forty-five hours. Any hit and the fight would be over. Each warrior attacked and countered like the same machine. The Jedi were amazed that Aciel had managed to hold his own against such a powerful man.

The Kel-Dor Jedi swung vertically, hoping to remove the Sith's right arm along with the Rakatan artifact, but he was too slow. He was kicked in the face and sent reeling back in pain. Darth Nox smirked beneath his mask and used the Force to choke Syo. "This is the end for you, Jedi. Using this device, I will restore the Sith as the true masters of the galaxy…and the Jedi Order will be crushed for the final time." He slowly closed his hand, cutting off any chance of breathing. The Darth tossed the orb to the ground, completely activating it. A huge, white light filled the crumbling cavern.

Aciel leaped toward his friends, "NO!" With a massive surge in the Force, the Chiss held out his hands and broke the Force choke, allowing the human Jedi to fall to the floor and escape to safety. Darth Nox let out a psychotic laugh, causing the cavern to shake with the darkside of the Force, "YOU'RE TOO LATE, CHILD! YOU'RE ALL DOOMED!"

Young Kol'Arus felt the Force tell him what to do, and he had never ignored its voice before…but this…he sighed and accepted his fate. He knelt on the ground and called the artifact to him. It floated above his head as he looked at his two adopted uncles with sadness. Their faces showed an incredible amount of concern and panic. "Young Aciel! What are you doing?! Get away!"

Aciel shook his head before voiding his face of any emotion, "You need to run. Now."

"What?" Darth Nox conjured more purple lightning, but Aciel lifted his hand up and brought down the cavern's ceiling with the Force, completely separating the Jedi Masters from the Dark Council member. They could hear his enraged screaming from the other side. Aciel pushed his two friends back when they began to run at him, "Escape while you can…and my friends…may the Force be with you…"

The floating orb bathed Aciel in white; Masters Braga and Bakarn could only watch in shame and terror as their newest Jedi Master was taken. They looked at his lightened face and saw…a smile? He tossed his lightsaber to them. They heard his calm and soft voice as the light enveloped his body.

"There is no death…there is only the Force."


	2. Chapter 2: The Toydarian and the Slave

Quick Note here. This chapter will use three different languages so here's the map.

Standard is Basic.

 _Italics is Inner Thought or Huttese_

 **Bold is Toydarian.**

Heat. Blistering heat. That was all the Chiss boy felt. He told himself to open his eyes, but he couldn't. Was he dead? No…he didn't feel as part of the Force. This was different. ' _Wake up…wake up…wake up._ ' He felt himself being moved, yet he still did not open his eyes. He could hear winds, but there was something else…a woman's voice.

"Quickly! Help me put him on the table and bring a bucket of water!" Aciel heard a boy answer and run off. He felt his robes being pulled off by rough, calloused hands. Hurried footsteps broke the Chiss child's concentration. "Here's the water!"

The woman grabbed a cloth and soaked it in water. She quickly applied the cool washcloth to Aciel's bared body. "Mom…what is he?" Aciel could hear the curiosity in the other child's voice. "He is a person; that's what he is. I hope you're not as rude to him when he wakes up." The older woman gently wiped beneath Aciel's closed eyes, but her son was not satisfied. Aciel could finally feel the Force flooding back into his body and mind.

"But, Mom! I've never seen one like him before! And I've seen just about all of them!" The mother was about to answer, but was interrupted by a soft voice. "Chiss…I am Chiss." The woman carefully helped him sit up before giving him something to drink. Aciel nodded his thanks and took a small sip. He ran a hand through his blue hair and sighed, "You have my gratitude, madam. Tell me, what is this place? What planet is this? How did I get here?"

The woman and her son glanced at each other, "This is our home…we are on Tatooine. We found you unconscious right outside our door. Since it was at the hottest of the day, we brought you in here and treated you." Aciel stood up and put his pure white robes back on correctly. He studied the woman closely. She looked worn and weary; as if she spent many a day working to complete exhaustion. She had brown eyes and hair with deep wrinkles around her mouth and eyes.

Aciel blinked once before turning and studying the boy beside her. He looked to be the same age as the Chiss, but Aciel was a few inches taller. He sensed a massive shift in the Force; it was this…boy. It was as if he became a pure conduit of the Force's will, yet it was obvious there was something deep within him…lurking and evading Aciel's deep, penetrating gaze.

"You…what is your name?"

The boy narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, "My name is Anakin. What's yours? What is a Chiss?" The blue-skinned boy nodded and placed a hand to his left hip. His red eyes widened before he looked down. "It's…gone." Aciel calmed himself when he remembered that he gave it to his uncle a little earlier. He cleared his throat and brought his attention back to the family. "I am called Aciel. My full name is Aciel'Kol'Arus. My people come from a frozen planet in the Unknown Regions."

"WOW! You actually come from the Unknown Regions?! What made you come here?!"

"Hush, Anakin. There's such a thing as privacy and personal affairs. Now, run along. Watto is expecting you and he won't want you late." The boy rushed to another room in the house as Aciel pulled his white hood up over his head. "Thank you for your kindness, madam. Unfortunately, I must find a transport to the nearest Republic outpost. Could you possibly point me to a speeder point?"

The woman looked at the boy suspiciously, "There are no Republic outposts here. Tatooine belongs to the Hutts, and the Republic has no jurisdiction here." Aciel shook his head, "That doesn't makes sense…the Republic and the Empire have been fighting for supremacy on this world for a hundred years…what is your name, madam?"

"Shmi. Shmi Skywalker."

Aciel began to pace quietly as was his habit. His deep hood covered his head and face from the searching eyes of Anakin's mother. "Shmi Skywalker, when was the last time you saw a Republic presence here? How long has it been since they left?" The woman sighed and sat at the head of the table, "You don't understand, child. Tatooine has belonged to the Hutts for over a thousand years. I don't know what empire you're talking about."

"A thousand…years? No…it's not possible." Aciel stopped pacing and leaned against the table with his palms flat on the top. He knew Tatooine was an immensely contested planet; but while the Hutt Cartel didn't have much of a foothold, they were still present regardless. "The Rakatan artifact. Could it have sent me to the future? How much time has passed…how many years…"

Shmi raised an eyebrow as she tried to listen to him muttering. He spoke too quietly, but it was obvious her answers greatly bothered him. Aciel chuckled and stood straight, "I don't suppose the Hutt Cartel still uses Galactic Credits…"

"Galactic…Credits?"

Aciel sighed and began pacing again, "I'll take that as a no. There must be another method." Anakin rushed out of his room with a bag in his hand; the Chiss turned to him and told him to stop. "Anakin, who is this Watto?" The boy looked at him; the Chiss saw a flash of sadness and desperation. "He won Mom and me from Gardulla the Hutt."

"So you are slaves…"

Anger surfaced on Anakin's face as he stalked up to Aciel, "We are people, not just slaves." The Chiss nodded and suppressed a smirk, "Of course. I was merely making an observation…an offensive one apparently." Anakin looked away in anger yet embarrassment. He knew his mother was looking at him in disappointment; he always had trouble controlling his reactions.

"I would like to meet Watto. He seems like an interesting person, and he could give me some information I require." Aciel turned and gave a deep, respectful bow to Shmi, "Madam, you have my thanks for everything you have done. It is pleasant to see such goodness in the galaxy." The boy chose his words carefully. While he wasn't lying about their kindness, he chose not to speak aloud of what he was actually feeling.

The darkness was greater now. The Force itself seemed to have tilted on its axis; the balance had obviously been broken. Aciel stood and followed Anakin out of the Skywalker's hovel. "So…Acil Ko…uh Kole…" The Chiss shook his head, but his face was still hidden beneath the hood. "Just call me Aciel. Most outsiders cannot pronounce Chiss names correctly anyway."

"Outsiders?"

"I mean those outside of the Ascendancy. It's my people's governing body." The two boys continued walking in silence; eyes were drawn toward the now blinding white of Aciel's robes. Every now and then, people would greet Anakin warmly and offer him small pieces of fruit or meat. The human offered Aciel some of the cooked meat, but he simply shook his head. "No. Thank you, Anakin. I am a vegetarian. I will not eat meat."

Anakin cocked his head before offering a slice of fruit which the Chiss gratefully took, "Why don't you eat meat? I've never heard of that before." Aciel broke off a piece the size of his thumb's fingernail and handed the rest back. "I do not wish for living creatures to die on my account. I have great respect for them so to eat them would also defile them." Anakin stopped walking and looked down at the dried meat. "Oh…I didn't realize. Sorry."

"You don't have anything to apologize for, young Skywalker. And there is no shame in eating what you desire. I meant it more as a personal choice than something I demand from everyone." Anakin's face brightened; it was obvious he thought Aciel was judging him for even touching a dead animal.

The boy's blue eyes drifted to Aciel's robes. He couldn't sate his curiosity. "Aciel, why do where those robes? Why are they white? Did you make them?" Aciel chucked and continued walking, "I wear them because they are mine…they are white to symbolize my loyalty to Ashla…and no, I did not make them." The boy's pupil-less eyes glanced up toward the end of the street where he read some Huttese. "It looks like we have arrived." He heard Anakin sigh as an agreement; after a few more moments of walking, they entered the shop.

(Remember. Standard is Basic. _Italics is Huttese_. **Bold is Toydarian.** )

A scruffy and rather smelly Toydarian flew from the back of the shop carrying a few tools and a datapad. He looked up when he heard the soft chingle of the door's bell. " _Ani, who is this outsider?! What does he want?_ " Aciel stepped forward and gave a small boy, answering the creature in Huttese, " _Mr. Watto, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. Young Anakin has told be a great many thing about your shop._ "

Watto gave a wheezing laugh before gently smacking the back of Anakin's head. It was his way of showing affection, more or less. " _He knows just how good my shop is! I sell anything you want or need…for the right price_." The Chiss pulled down his hood and took one more step forward so he was only a foot away. " ** _It is also pleasing to see another Toydarian. I have visited your world many times, and I was always amazed at its beauty and people_** **.** "

The junk dealer nearly stopped flying when his mouth shot open in surprise. This stranger wasn't speaking Huttese any longer. He was speaking Toydarian. Anakin looked between his new friend and his owner. They were conversing in a language he had never heard before. After another twenty minutes of quietly talking in the strange language, Watto slapped Aciel on the back and flew over to the counter. He looked at the slave boy who was still standing in bewilderment. Going back to Huttese, the older creature ordered his to start cleaning some metal.

Anakin quickly obeyed, leaving Aciel and Watto alone. " ** _Sit! Sit! It has been too long since I've had a chance to speak Toydarian! Now then, what is it you desire?_** "

" ** _I wish to learn some information, and a Toydarian is always smarter than the commoner. I want you to tell me about the Hutt that rules this planet, anything you know about the Jedi Order, and everything about that child_**."

Watto's eyes took on a greedy glint as he listened to the strange blue alien speak in his native language. " ** _You know, I said I can sell you anything you want or need…for the right price_** _._ " Aciel nodded knowingly; he sensed that the two were being watched by the slave child, but since they weren't speaking Basic or Huttese it didn't really matter. " ** _As the saying goes, 'The right price is always negotiable. That's what makes it so right.'_** "

Watto gave a deep laugh again before pouring the child some alcohol. He hoped to get the boy drunk and sleepy so he could either make a better deal or sell him to Gardulla. Little did he know that Aciel could drink two dozen drunkards under the table and still have the keenest mind.

" ** _First we need to settle on a price, child. Done any negotiating before?_** " Aciel shook his head as an answer; this sly trickster didn't need to know that the Chiss usually took part during negotiations and peace agreements by the time he was five. " ** _You're not from around here. What kind of money do you have, eh? AND NO CREDIT_** _!_ " Aciel ran a hand through his long blue hair, " ** _Do you take Republic credits_** _?_ "

Watto furiously flapped his wings in disgust and anger, " ** _Republic credits are no good out here! Is that all you have?!_** " The boy sighed and pulled out a small brown bag from his inner robe, " ** _Gold pieces then. Stamped and approved by the Hutt Cartel. Agreed?_** " Aciel saw the Toydarian's skeptical look, but there was also the ever present hint of eternal greed behind his eyes.

" ** _Where would a mere child get gold pieces, eh? Didn't steal it, didya_** _?_ " Aciel took another sip of the alcohol and smiled, " ** _I have my ways…just like you have yours. Do you agree to three gold pieces per subject_** _?_ "

" ** _Eight_** _._ "

" ** _Four_** _._ "

" ** _Seven_** _._ "

" ** _Three_** _._ " Aciel hid a smirk behind his cup as he watched Watto become unhinged. " ** _Three?! You started at three! We are negotiating_** _!_ " The Chiss sighed and set his cup down. " ** _Two pieces of gold per subject._** " The Toydarian flapped his wings angrily; Anakin watched everything in amazement. Aciel didn't even seem fazed by the being's outburst. Watto flew around in a temper, " ** _No more negotiations! You think you can cheat me_** _?!_ "

Aciel sighed and stood, " ** _Very well, Watto. You obviously don't need these gold pieces, and I'm certain others could find them useful. Take care_** _._ " The Chiss moved toward the door and was just about to walk out when Watto stopped him. They searched each other's faces for a few moments, and to Anakin it looked like they were talking without saying anything.

"Three gold pieces. Take it or leave it, Watto." Skywalker's eyes widened. Did he really have gold pieces? What would he want that could cost so much money? His blue eyes widened when Watto slapped his palm in agreement. "Agreed! How about another drink, eh?" Aciel nodded and returned to his seat. He took a sip and studied the layout of the shop; droid parts and various tools scattered the area in a disorganized clutter. He looked through the back door and saw some spare and broken parts of starships.

As he looked around, he sensed something shift in the Force…and it was near. He sighed and took another drink before returning to Toydarian, " ** _Let's start with the Hutt that rules Tatooine. Who is it? What is he like_** _?_ " Watto flapped around silently before sitting behind the counter, " ** _The Hutt is Gardulla Basadii the Elder. She was born around six or seven hundred years ago_** _._ "

Aciel nodded quietly, " ** _So she's middle aged then_** _…_ " Watto raised an eyebrow, " ** _What do you mean 'middle aged'_** _?_ " The Chiss set down his empty cup and the flying creature quickly refilled it, " ** _Hutts are known to live over a thousand years. What's she like_** _?_ "

" ** _Ah! That I can answer! Excessive gambler and excessive loser. That's how I won the boy and his old mother_** _._ " The boy nodded in understanding as he waited for Watto to finish gloating over his victory. While Aciel knew it was not usual to win against a Hutt and live, everyone had to lose some time or another. He placed three gold pieces on the counter when Watto had given all the information he said he knew. " ** _What of the Jedi Order_** _?_ "

The Toydarian gave a loud laugh, " ** _What of Jedi? They stick to that Republic of theirs, and leave us starving in the Outer Rim. Haven't seen one of 'em Jedi in a long time, and when they DO come they always bring trouble_** _._ "

" ** _I've heard they are peacekeepers. Do they only obey the Republic Senate or are they still separate_** _?_ " Watto spit in a can behind the counter and scratched his hairy neck. " ** _Who knows? What I've heard is that they are the lapdogs of the Senate…even if they're wrong they still do things. They're nothing like the Jedi my great-grandfather told me about_** _._ " Aciel nodded again but this time a frown was carved deep into his face. Master Syo always told him that the Jedi Order should always remain separate from the Republic. The Jedi were its protectors not its servants.

Aciel glanced toward the area he sensed Anakin before placing three more gold pieces on the counter, " ** _Lastly, the boy. Anakin his name was_** _._ " The blond boy's ears perked up in an instant. While he didn't understand any of what they were saying, he DID know when his name was spoken. He looked between the Chiss and the Toydarian; they both had stopped talking now. The human began to panic as his mind filled with worried theories. Did they know he was listening? Why were they talking about him?

They started speaking in hushed whispers until Watto slammed his fist on the counter, "He's not for sale!" Anakin's eyes widened in both shock and fury. He thought Aciel was his friend! Did he really want to buy him?! Anakin couldn't believe it. He trusted him, and now the same guy was treating him like…like a slave.

Aciel silenced Watto quickly, " ** _That's not what I meant. I was asking about how much a boy like him costs you. I didn't say anything about buying him! Anyways, tell me about him. Where did he come from? Who was his father_** _?_ " Watto settled down and poured Aciel and himself another drink, " ** _I wouldn't know about that. The old Hutt told me that Ani and his mother arrived when he was three years old. Heard rumors that the father ran when he found out Shmi was pregnant. Others say there was no father…but that's just spacer's nonsense_** _._ "

" ** _Really? No father…that's very interesting_** _._ " Aciel felt a powerful presence just outside the shop's door. Whoever it was…was strong in the Force. The bell tinkled as a group of four walked in; Watto flapped his wings over to them and gave a greedy smile. He spoke in Huttese again, " _What can I do for you?_ " Aciel silently stood and took seat at the far end of the counter so he could watch everything from the shadows. He pulled up his hood, causing his red eyes to glow in the darkness.

The first one he noticed was an older human male with light skin, blue eyes, and brown hair that was greying at the roots. His beard was the same color as his hair; the man wore a greenish-tan poncho that covered his body down to his knees. Something was familiar about him, but Kol'Arus decided to just watch.

"I require parts for a J-Type 327 Nubian." Watto flashed a devious smile as his wings flapped slightly faster. He decided to switch to Basic, "Ah, yes! A Nubian! We have lots of parts for that. Whaddya be lookin' for?" The old human turned slightly toward his entourage, "My droid here has the readout of what I need." The Chiss listened as Watto demanded Anakin's presence only to almost slap him for being too slow. After a few moments of talking, Watto looked back at the visitor, "Why don't ye come to the back, eh? I'd wager you'll find what you be needin'."

The boy covered himself with the Force, blocking all the senses of those around him. It was as if he actually left the shop. Aciel watched the old man walk past him after he warns the Gungan to not touch anything. The Chiss had met a few Gungans before and he loved their culture. While the population usually dressed in worn or simple clothing, their technology was actually quite remarkable. There were even one or two Gungan Jedi. This Gungan, however, seemed to be very clumsy and uncoordinated. 'Seemed' being the key word. Aciel's eyes narrowed; he sensed there was more than meets the eye regarding this…Jar Jar Binks.

With the Gungan fooling around with a droid, Aciel turned his attention to Anakin and the strange girl. It was obvious she wasn't used to anything less than the upper class luxuries. His red eyes studied her skin and face; it was completely flawless and without marks, revealing the fact she rarely spent time in the fields or bad weather. Kol'Arus felt a shift in the Force again, but this time it centered on Anakin. He narrowed his eyes as he realized what he was doing. He was having an emotional reaction to the girl.

"Are you an angel?" Aciel and the brunette looked at the boy in surprise. "W-What?" Anakin tilted his head in interest, "An angel. I've heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They live on the moons of Iego, I think. They're said to be the most beautiful creatures in the universe." Aciel saw light pink dust her cheeks as she tried to find what to say. Eventually, she chose to say, "You're a funny little boy. How do you know so much?"

"I've been hearing these things since I was three, I think. My mom and I were sold to Gardulla the Hutt, but she lost us to Watto after betting and losing on the podraces." Aciel sighed as he felt Anakin's sadness and bitterness roll off him. He saw the girl's face scrunch up in confusion and…what appeared to be disgust mixed with disbelief. "You're a slave?"

The Chiss chuckled; it was like déjà vu from earlier that morning. He silently stood and walked out the backdoor to see what Watto and the older man were doing. He walked up to the duo and listened. "…speaking of which, how're you plannin' on paying for such a fine piece of equipment?" The man clasped his hands together and straightened his posture, "I have twenty thousand Republic dataries." Aciel 'hm'ed again; this really was déjà vu.

Watto spat in anger, "Republic credits?! They're no good out here! I need something I can actually use!" The man sighed and waved his hand in front of the Toydarian, "I don't have anything else, but credits will do fine."

"No! They won't!" Aciel saw the look of confusion on the man's face. It occurred to him what this cloaked human was…he was a Jedi. He waved his hand in front of him again, "Credits WILL do fine." Watto shook his head in irritation; this outlander was getting stupid. Aciel removed the Force's cover, revealing himself right next to the old Jedi. "Jedi mind tricks will not work on him, Master Jedi. He is a Toydarian, and the only thing that sways him is money."

The man was too busy trying to calm his pounding heart. He had no idea there was someone standing right next to them…and this hooded figure knew he was a Jedi. Aciel turned to Watto and began conversing in Toydarian once more, " ** _How much for the hyperdrive generator_** _?_ "

" ** _You're cutting in on a deal, kid! And you won't have enough gold pieces to buy this beautiful piece of equipment_** _._ " Watto flapped toward the older Jedi, "No money, no parts! No deal! And no one else has a T-14 hyperdrive, I can promise ya that!" With that, he flew back into the shop, leaving Aciel with the old man. He could feel the curiosity and suspicion in the air as he began to follow Watto. He immediately felt a heavy hand fall on his right shoulder, "I'd like to talk to you for a moment."

Aciel nodded beneath his white hood, "Certainly, Master Jedi." The boy turned around and waited. "What makes you think that I'm a Jedi?" Aciel offered a hidden smile since the man couldn't see his face at all, "The Force surrounds you like the light of Ashla…yet you have also been touched by the darkness of Bogan…what is your name, Master?"

"My name is Qui Gon Jinn. I don't understand what you mean by Ashla and Bogan…" The man studied the boy, but he couldn't see anything under the white robes. He almost looked like…like a Jedi. Aciel gave a small sigh, "Ashla and Bogan. The light and the darkness. The two sides of the Force…has it been so long that the children of Ashla have forgotten?" Qui Gon raised an eyebrow, "Who are you? What is your name?"

Aciel gave a deep bow of respect, "My name is Aciel'Kol'Arus…Master of the Jedi Order." Qui Gon sucked in a breath as he considered what the boy just said. "That's impossible! Not only are you too young to be a master, but the Order also does not have one of your species." Aciel shook his head, "That doesn't make sense…my mother was a Jedi Council member. Her brother, my uncle, is a Temple Librarian in the Jedi Archives."

Master Jinn was still doubtful. He was old enough that having a child play-act a Jedi wasn't exactly new…but Aciel'Kol'Arus sounded sincere. The man tried to reach through the Force to sense his feelings, but something blocked him. He tried again, yet again he failed. He heard the boy sigh, "It isn't necessary to do that, Master Jinn. I give you my word that I am not deceiving you…and I don't like it when people try to peer into my mind." So he knew what the tall Jedi was attempting to do, and he completely blocked it.

"Why come to me? In all of the villages and areas in the galaxy, you just happen to run into us?"

"I follow the will of the Force, Master Qui Gon. It told me what I had to do, so I obeyed. Here I am, and I request transportation back to the Temple to report on my mission." The human's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "We will talk of this later. For now, I need to leave. If the Force's will is that you should be here, then we will meet again. Until then, however, I will reserve judgment."

Aciel nodded and bowed again, "That is only fair, Master. I hope you find what you are looking for…oh, by the way…I suggest you study that boy closely. He is unusual to say the least. The Force surrounds him, and I sense he is extremely powerful." Qui Gon nodded in agreement, "So I am not the only one to sense it…we'll speak of this another time. Goodbye."

"May the Force be with you." Qui Gon turned to leave before glancing back. His eyes widened; the child was gone. On the other hand, Aciel looked at the man in amusement. He was standing right in front of him, but he decided to clothe himself in the Force to hide his presence. "I must be getting old…keep seeing things." He walked back into the shop and told his group they were leaving. Aciel listened to their goodbyes, hearing that the woman's name was Padme Naberrie.

" _Outlanders! They think because we live so far from the center, we don't know anything._ " Aciel chuckled as he removed the Force's cloak. " _Some are like that, I suppose. But they seemed nice…_ " Anakin, trying to get over the shock of the blue child appearing right next to him, agreed wholeheartedly. Watto sighed and flapped behind the counter, " _Ani, clean the racks; then you can go home._ " Anakin cheered as he ran to the storage room.

Aciel put the final three gold bars on the counter, "This is the rest of the payment for the information. Thank you for your cooperation." Watto counted out the nine gold pieces and offered a sleazy grin, "Of course! Of course! Want to know anything else?!" Aciel shook his head and pulled his white hood back up, "No. Thank you. **_Prosperity and wealth to you, Watto_** _._ "

" ** _Prosperity and wealth to you too, kid_** _._ " Aciel stepped out of the shop and leaned against a wall. He closed his eyes and searched for the human Jedi's aura. The group was about two hundred feet down the busy street and walking further away. He sighed and looked around the spaceport. His red eyes fell on a group of Jawas. They were having trouble with one of their animals; Aciel chuckled as the massive creature lifted its head, also lifting four Jawas into the air by the reins until they fell to the ground beside another two. He walked over and knelt on one knee, "Hello, my friends. May I assist?"

The small, cloaked creatures answered in chirrups and high-pitched tones. Aciel nodded and stood, gently raising his right hand toward the beast's head. "Calm down, my lovely friend. Won't you say hello to me?" The creature glanced down and lowered her head. Aciel smiled and gently scratched behind her ears. "Aren't you a beautiful thing? Who's a cute girl?! Who's a cute girl?!" The creature snorted and rubbed the boy's body with her large furry head. Aciel gave a full smile, "That's right! You are! You're the cute girl!"

The six Jawas watched in stunned silence; their pack animal was incredibly temperamental, but this stranger treated her like a pet…unknown to Aciel, Anakin was also watching everything. "Won't you take care of my friends, sweetheart? They're not going to hurt you; they just need help carrying some things." The creature snorted again and rested her large head on Aciel's shoulder so he would keep petting her. The Chiss smiled and looked down at the Jawas, "All you need is patience. She says she is tired and the packs are not fastened correctly." He looked into the being's large green eyes, "Why don't you rest for a bit. The Jawas and I will fix the packs for you."

Anakin watched with wide eyes as the twenty foot tall beast crouched down on its knees; did it really understand what the white clothed figure was saying? He saw Aciel jump up on her back and rearranged the boxes and bags. The Chiss managed to distribute the weight evenly, relieving the animal of its heavy burden. She immediately stood up and made the Jawas panic again, but Aciel simply patted her neck affectionately. He looked at the now even smaller robed creatures with a smile, "Don't worry. She's just happy and ready to go."

Young Skywalker's eyes widened when Aciel did a casual flip off the creature's back over twenty feet from the ground. He landed on his feet and dusted his robes off before being swarmed by the group of Jawas. He listened to their chatter, but Anakin could never understand what they said. Aciel smiled and nodded; Anakin quietly stepped closer when Kol'Arus knelt on one knee again.

"I couldn't possibly accept! I was just pleased I could help." What appeared to be the Jawas' leader shook his hands wildly and continued chattering. One of the other Jawas stepped forward with a small parcel in his hands. Aciel smiled and accepted the package, "You have my thanks, my friends. Perhaps we will meet again." The Jawa spoke again, causing Aciel to chuckle. "Of course, I will visit your settlement as soon as I can. Unfortunately, I need to be off-planet for a while, but I look forward to trying your Tanakan stew. It's been a while since I've had it."

After a few more minutes of conversation and exchanging thanks, Aciel gave a deep bow which each Jawa returned. As they went their separate ways, Anakin ran to catch up with the Chiss. "I don't believe it! I've never seen anything like that before!" The hooded boy glanced at Anakin, "Like what before?"

Anakin's face went blank, "You actually talked to that massive animal, and it listened to you! And I've never seen the Jawas so friendly and nice before. They're usually just snooping around and being annoying." Aciel stopped walking and turned to the blond. His red eyes narrowed in disapproval, "Have respect! The Jawas are an incredibly strong and resilient people. They have lived on Tatooine for tens of thousands of years before HUMANS even set foot on the planet. This is their planet, and you should respect and honor them for their talents and ingenuity."

"O-Oh…sorry." Anakin looked at the sand as they resumed walking. Aciel sighed and stopped again, "I apologize for lecturing you, but few people give the Jawa species much credit. They're survivors and industrious workers. Their intelligence often times surpasses a human's. I just want you to know how special they are." Anakin smiled and nodded, "I'll remember…hey…isn't he the one that came to Watto's shop?" The Chiss followed his line of sight, and saw Jar Jar being attacked by a Dug. He sighed and quietly followed Anakin over to the eatery.

By now, the Dug gripped Jar Jar by the throat and began choking him. Anakin walked up and crossed his arms, " _Careful, Sebulba. This guy's got connections._ " The Dug, called Sebulba, snorted in derision. " _And why should I listen to a slave boy? What connections are you talking about?_ "

Aciel smirked beneath his hood as Anakin answered, " _Like Hutt connections…he's a bigtime outlander. I'd hate to see you get chopped up before we raced again._ " Sebulba snarled and shook the dead frog at the boy, " _The next time we race, it'll be the end of ya! Why, if you weren't a slave, I'd crush you right now!_ " The Chiss felt a wave of emotion from the human child, but he hid it well with a smirk, " _Yeah. It'd be a shame if you had to pay for me._ "

Sebulba growled shoved Jar Jar once more before going back to his table. Aciel noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Qui Gon, Padme, and an R2 unit walk up. The older Jedi had a look of irritation and suspicion. Anakin flashed a smile when he saw them, "Hi! Your friend was about to be turned into orange goo. He picked a fight with a Dug; an especially dangerous Dug named Sebulba."

Jar Jar jumped up and gulped, "Nosir! Mesa hate crunchen! Dat's the last thing mesa want!" Aciel nodded his greeting to Qui Gon which was silently returned before the old man looked back at the Gungan, "Nevertheless, the boy is right. You need to stay out of trouble." He looked down at Anakin and offered a small smile, "Thank you, my friend. We'll be leaving now."

Padme finally noticed the blue skinned alien standing a few feet away; he was dressed from head to foot in a bright white robe with blue writing on the ends that sort of reminded the woman of the Jedi next to her. However, she couldn't understand how she hadn't seen him sooner. "Who might you be?" Aciel looked at her, making her gasp. She had never seen bright red eyes without pupils before. "My name is Aciel'Kol'Arus, Miss Naberrie. I am Anakin's…acquaintance."

"How did you know my name?!" The Chiss could see worry and suspicion flash across her face. He sighed and cleared his throat, "I was in Watto's shop whenever you arrived. I sat at the corner and listened to your conversation." Anakin and Padme stared at him, "You were there?! We didn't see you!"

"Obviously." Aciel sighed and looked around. He sensed a dark presence near the town. The darkside surrounded the presence like an ink blot on a clean white piece of paper. "…Sith." Qui Gon suddenly appeared beside him with an eyebrow raised, "Excuse me?" Aciel shook his head and closed his eyes, "Nothing…nothing."


	3. Three Thousand Years

Sebulba growled shoved Jar Jar once more before going back to his table. Aciel noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Qui Gon, Padme, and an R2 unit walk up. The older Jedi had a look of irritation and suspicion. Anakin flashed a smile when he saw them, "Hi! Your friend was about to be turned into orange goo. He picked a fight with a Dug; an especially dangerous Dug named Sebulba."

Jar Jar jumped up and gulped, "Nosir! Mesa hate crunchen! Dat's the last thing mesa want!" Aciel nodded his greeting to Qui Gon which was silently returned before the old man looked back at the Gungan, "Nevertheless, the boy is right. You need to stay out of trouble." He looked down at Anakin and offered a small smile, "Thank you, my friend. We'll be leaving now."

Padme finally noticed the blue skinned alien standing a few feet away; he was dressed from head to foot in a bright white robe with blue writing on the ends that sort of reminded the woman of the Jedi next to her. However, she couldn't understand how she hadn't seen him sooner. "Who might you be?" Aciel looked at her, making her gasp. She had never seen bright red eyes without pupils before. "My name is Aciel'Kol'Arus, Miss Naberrie. I am Anakin's…acquaintance."

"How did you know my name?!" The Chiss could see worry and suspicion flash across her face. He sighed and cleared his throat, "I was in Watto's shop whenever you arrived. I sat at the corner and listened to your conversation." Anakin and Padme stared at him, "You were there?! We didn't see you!"

"Obviously." Aciel sighed and looked around. He sensed a dark presence near the town. The darkside surrounded the presence like an ink blot on a clean white piece of paper. "…Sith." Qui Gon suddenly appeared beside him with an eyebrow raised, "Excuse me?" Aciel shook his head and closed his eyes, "Nothing…nothing."

A massive sandstorm had descended upon spaceport, causing the whole group to try and reach the Skywalker hovel before it started. Needless to say, they didn't make it before the storm hit so there they stood at the entrance, shaking the sand off their clothes. Aciel sighed again as he dusted off his sleeves yet again; he despised sand and hot places. Give him ice and 200 degrees below freezing anytime. At least then he could feel at home. Shmi came out from the kitchen wiping her hands. Her face fell when she saw how many people she would have to feed.

Her eyes lit up when she saw Anakin and Aciel walk in. "Ani, who are these people? Why did you bring them here?" Anakin sneezed from the sand, "These are my friends, Mom! They wouldn't be able to reach their ship before the storm hit so I invited them here." Qui Gon offered a small bow to the head of house. "My name is Qui Gon Jinn. Your son was kind enough to provide some shelter." Anakin grasped Padme's hand, "Come on! Let me show you the droid I've been working on! Come on, Artoo!"

The three made their way back to Anakin's bedroom while Qui Gon and Jar Jar remained standing. Aciel pulled his white hood down and offered a smile, albeit fake. While he wasn't unhappy to be there again, he wasn't too pleased at his current situation. He was stuck on a dustball of a planet with no transportation back to Tython. Aciel watched the older Jedi pull five circular tubes from his belt before handing them to Shmi. "I have enough food for each of us…" His eyes landed on Aciel. He had forgotten the child was still around. The old Jedi touched his belt again but he ran out of food cylinders. The Chiss chuckled and waved his right hand dismissively, "It's quite alright, Master Jinn. Anakin gave me some fruit earlier. Thank you though."

Kol'Arus pulled his hood back up and gave a slight bow, "It was pleasing to see you again, Madam. Please give Anakin my regards." Shmi frowned and shook her head, "You shouldn't go out in the middle of a sandstorm. It's very dangerous."

"It will not be an issue. I need to take care of something and now is just as good a time as any." Aciel bowed again and started to leave, but Qui Gon blocked his path. "You're leaving? What are you going to do?" Aciel frowned as he looked away, "It is none of your concern Master Jinn. I will return shortly." The human still wasn't satisfied. He was about to order the boy to remain, but the Chiss simply waved his hand. "You will not delay me from my duties."

"I will not delay you from your duties." Qui Gon stepped aside and nodded in farewell. Shmi stood in shock at what she just witnessed. Aciel held up his hand with the palm facing outside before he opened the door. The mother braced for the winds and sands to enter her house again, but nothing ever came. She looked outside while the door was open and saw that Aciel was keeping everything out of her house; how, she didn't know. She was just grateful of Aciel's thoughtfulness and the fact that her home wouldn't become dirty. With a final nod, Aciel departed from the Skywalker hovel for the second time.

(A/N: I decided to skip the blood test and podrace scenes. Sorry if you like those scenes, but honestly I don't care much for them. If you want me to write them back in, then just let me know)

Aciel calmly walked back to the Skywalker's house. He had witnessed young Anakin's victory at the podrace, and he was somewhat impressed. Toward the end of the race, the Chiss could feel the Force surround the human and guide him to the finish line. Why…he didn't know, but he rarely understood the Force's will to begin with. He had seen enough in war and politics that the Force works in mysterious ways, and a mere child should not question it constantly.

He heard a group of what sounded like children around the corner. When he walked over, he saw who appeared to be Anakin beating on a Rodian child. Aciel swiftly walked up and grabbed the human's shoulder, abruptly pulling him away from the fight. "That is enough, Anakin. Fighting solves nothing." The Rodian coughed and tried to get up, but he fell back down. Aciel offered a hand, which he took, and helped the alien to his feet. Qui Gon also walked up with a furrowed brow, "What's all this then?"

Anakin glared at the Rodian in disdain, "He said I cheated!" Aciel sighed and glanced at him, "Did you?" Skywalker's face twisted in anger and sadness; he thought his friend at least would take his side. "No! Of course not!" Qui Gon looked down at the Rodian, "Do you still think he cheated?"

"I know he did!" Anakin began to leap at the alien, but quickly settiiled when he fell under Aciel's stern gaze. Master Jinn placed a hand on Skywalker's shoulder, "Well, Ani. You know the truth…you will just have to tolerate his opinion. Like your friend said, 'Fighting solves nothing.'" Qui Gon and Aciel exchanged respectful nods before moving away with Anakin trailing close behind.

The old man looked to his right and studied Aciel once more, "You simply vanished a few days ago. Would you mind telling me where you went?" Aciel pulled up his white hood, "I just had some things to take care of. Nothing truly of interest to anyone but myself. How did things go on your end?" Qui Gon looked ahead as they approached the hovel, "With Anakin winning the Boonta Eve race, we were able to get our hyperdrive…along with the boy." Aciel looked up in confusion, "The boy? You mean Watto freed him? How is that possible?"

"It was just something I have to take care of. Nothing truly of interest." Aciel smirked at the man speaking his own words back to him. "Of course. Jedi business is Jedi business after all. So have you decided on whether you will let me go with you back to the temple?" Qui Gon nodded with a grim expression, "I will take you with us, and you will be meeting with the Council as soon as we arrive. I'm sure they will be extremely interested in what you have to say…"

Aciel stepped to the side as Jinn gestured for Anakin to join them. He took out some money from his belt and handed them to the small human, "These are yours. We managed to sell the pod." Anakin's face lit up in amazement and happiness, "Yes! We did it!" Kol'Arus followed the humans into the house.

Shmi looked up and wiped her hands when the front door slid open; Anakin ran up to his mother and held out the coins, "Mom! He sold the pod! Look at all the money we have now!" The woman's wrinkled face held a beautiful smile of pride and love, "Oh my goodness! How wonderful, Ani!" Qui Gon crossed his arms and cleared his throat, "Also…Anakin has been freed."

The silence in the house was so thick Aciel felt he could hold it in his hands. He looked at Anakin's and Shmi's faces; they were stunned. "I'M WHAT?!" Qui Gon chuckled, "You are no longer a slave." Anakin jumped for joy while Shmi sat down in silence; she looked at Aciel in disbelief, "How did Watto agree to it? Was it part of the winnings?" Aciel shrugged, "I am not the one with the answers you desire. You should speak to Master Jinn." The woman turned to the old man, "Will you take him with you? Is he to become a Jedi?"

"Our meeting was not a coincidence. Nothing happens by accident." Qui Gon watched Anakin settle down from his celebration. Aciel crossed his arms, "While he is strong with the Force, he may not be accepted by the Council. He is emotional and constantly looks for excitement. It is not the Jedi way to seek adventure, and I believe it will be difficult to say the least."

Anakin walked over; Aciel could still feel his energy even after his outburst. "A Jedi! You mean I get to go with you in your starship and everything?!" Qui Gon knelt in front of the Skywalker and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Anakin, training to be a Jedi will not be an easy challenge. Even if you succeed, it will still be a hard life." Anakin looked into the old man's face, "But it's what I want. It's what I've always wanted. Mom, can't I go?" Aciel shook his head; the likelihood that he had always wanted to be a Jedi just wasn't possible. Shmi held her son's gaze before sighing, "This path has been placed before you, Ani. The choice to take it is yours alone."

The boy thought for a few moments before nodding, "I want to go."

"Then pack your things. We haven't much time."

Aciel stepped out of the hovel and sighed; he had a bad feeling and it always seemed to center around Anakin Skywalker. It was obvious to the Chiss already that Anakin would not be happy living the life of the Jedi. He was emotional. Headstrong. He didn't think before acting. Even when he DID think, his decisions were rarely logical. That was surprising since he was so talented with robotics and engineering.

Eventually, Qui Gon and Anakin walked out with Shmi. Aciel pulled his hood back up and walked behind Anakin. A few moments later, the boy turned to look at his mother once more before running back to her. Aciel sighed and crossed his arms as he waited. Now, he was getting concerned. The Sith was getting closer, and the human was too busy saying goodbye.

Another fifteen minutes passed until the three made their way to the Nubian. Qui Gon was leading, Anakin following, and Aciel brought up the rear. They were just about to reach the outskirts of the city when Aciel saw something out of the corner of his eye. "Master Jinn." The man pulled his lightsaber out, whirled around, and sliced the probe droid in half. Aciel crouched down to study it; his brow furrowed, "Curious. It has a basic Imperial design, but I haven't seen anything like it…"

Qui Gon placed his lightsaber at his hip, "This is not good. We need to leave. Now." The three took off running toward the starship.

Aciel could see the silver starship in the distance; they were only a few thousand yards away from the entry ramp. His red eyes widened when he realized this was the same ship he saw in the visions he had earlier. He kept running at a pace that matched Qui Gon's until he felt a dark presence appear behind them.

"Master Qui Gon, sir! Wait!" The two masters turned and saw a black hooded figure swiftly approaching on a speeder bike. Aciel felt the old human's worry spike as he called out, "Anakin, drop!" The boy quickly obeyed before the figure passed a mere three inches above him. If he hesitated in only an instant…

The figure leapt off of the speeder, causing it to continue on its path right to the two Jedi. Qui Gon pulled his lightsaber and ignited the green blade while Aciel used the Force to stop the speeder. He held it before throwing it toward the robed attacker. The figure easily dodged it before igniting his own red blade. The Chiss boy's eyes widened slightly, "Sith…"

Aciel was about to assist Master Jinn, but the old human had other plans. "Aciel, take Anakin to the ship and tell them to take off!" Their lightsabers clashed, giving off an incredibly familiar sound to the Chiss. He Force-pulled Anakin to his chest before holding him bridal style. Anakin's face showed an obvious blush, but Aciel didn't even pay attention to it. "Hold on tight, Anakin." The human obeyed as Kol'Arus used to Force to run to the ship in one-hundredth of the time.

He set Anakin on the ship's floor before shouting, "Get out here! Now!" A man that appeared to be twenty years old ran into the room. Padme and another man with dark skin quickly followed him.

"Who are you?! Why are you here?!" Aciel shook his head in irritation, "Master Jinn is in trouble! Take off now!" The younger human Jedi quickly ran to the cockpit and told the pilot to fly low over the dueling lightsaber wielders. Aciel watched Qui Gon closely; he was incredibly fast and agile for a man his age. The Chiss immediately recognized the Jedi style of Form IV, also known as Ataru.

As the ship passed over, the pilot lowered the boarding ramp to allow Qui Gon to jump on. The master did so, but the Sith jumped up and landed on the ramp as well; Master Jinn fell back into the ship in exhaustion as he stared at the tattooed face of his assailant. Aciel jumped protectively in front of the human and looked into the cloaked man's face. The Chiss saw that he was a Zabrak. When the man lifted his red saber up to deal a killing blow, Aciel summoned the Force and unceremoniously blasted the male out of the ship; he watched him spiral back down to the desert planet.

Qui Gon put his lightsaber back on his left hip and sighed in relief. Anakin and the other Jedi appeared in the room and knelt next to the panting old man. "Master, what was it?" Jinn looked at the Jedi and swallowed hard, "I don't know, Obi Wan…but he was well trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is that he was after the Queen." Aciel whirled around and crossed his arms. "You can't be serious. 'Well trained in the Jedi arts'? He was a Sith, Master Jinn. And a rather capable one at that."

The one called Obi Wan looked at Aciel in irritation, "Who are you?" The Chiss lowered his arms to his sides and offered a slight bow, "I am Master Aciel'Kol'Arus of the Jedi Order. Master Jinn was gracious enough to give me a lift back to the Jedi Temple so I can report on my mission." Anakin's eyes widened, "You're a Jedi too?!"

"I am. If you would excuse me, I need some time to think." Obi Wan, Anakin, and Qui Gon watched the white-robed figure disappear from sight. Master Jinn and his apprentice shared a look before the man introduced Skywalker. Qui Gon offered a fatherly smile at Anakin's enthusiasm. With the hyperdrive repaired and all hands ready, the Nubian rocketed through the outer atmosphere and into space.

A few hours passed in relative silence. Aciel's pupil-less eyes were closed in concentration. His mind poured over everything that happened since he was taken from Hoth. So far, almost half of his visions had come to pass and it all seemed to center around Anakin Skywalker. The Chiss shook his head and focused on finding his old masters. For hours, his mind searched the galaxy as he tried to locate Syo Bakarn or Till'in. He grew restless when he found absolutely nothing.

The room's door slid open, interrupting Aciel's concentration. He opened his red eyes but kept looking at the passing stars. "Are you okay, Aciel?" The Chiss nodded, "Yes. How are you feeling? It must be difficult leaving your home so suddenly." He heard some sniffling so he turned around; Anakin was standing awkwardly and wiping his nose with his sleeve. Aciel sighed and slowly walked over to the boy, "Come. Lay down here and try to get some sleep. We will be very busy later." Anakin nodded and laid down on a makeshift bed next to the large window.

Aciel pulled off his white cloak and wrapped it around the shaking boy. "Won't you be cold too, Aciel?" The Chiss shook his head and tucked the outer robe's hood beneath Anakin's chin. "My temple quarters were kept below freezing. Actually this ship is incredibly warm for me." Kol'Arus sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on Anakin's chest. "You need to relax, Ani. There is nothing to worry about just yet, and even if there was then Master Jinn and myself will always be there with you." Aciel felt the human's muscles relax as he became warmer.

"Aciel…when did you become a Jedi? What's it like?"

Kol'Arus sighed and looked out the window; Anakin thought he almost looked sad. "My mother and two uncles were in the Order. She was a Council member, one uncle is one of the high librarians, and the other was one of the Shadows. You could say I was practically born and raised in the Order."

Anakin nodded quietly. His blue eyes never left the Chiss boy's face. "What kind of things have you done? As a Jedi I mean…" Aciel cleared his throat and cut off all his emotions; he was slightly concerned that he almost lost control of his nostalgia. "Well, I've been in several diplomatic missions over the years…I fought in almost twenty battles that usually lasted a few days at a time. Oh, I've also been on a dozen or so first contact expeditions."

The Chiss sighed when he felt Anakin become excited. "Really?! You've fought battles?! What were they like?!" Aciel shook his head; of course the Skywalker would only be interested in fighting. "What every battle is like. There is death. There is destruction. There is loss. Jedi are supposed to be peacekeepers not soldiers. I myself lost several acquaintances to Sith." Anakin's eyes widened, "What happened? What are Sith?"

"Sith are the followers of Bogan. They worship darkness and raw emotion. Anger, hatred, greed, jealousy, fear, passion. All lead to the Dark side of the Force. Where the Light is a flowing river, the Darkness is a roaring fire. However, you must understand that without one, the other cannot exist. This is the balance that I follow." Anakin showed confusion, but Aciel completely understood why. This boy never even met a Jedi a few days ago.

Anakin cleared his throat, "What happened to your friends during the battle?" Aciel sat straighter and crossed his arms; his eyes never left the stars.

"The Council ordered us to Kashyyk to settle a conflict. My master and I were supposed to initiate peace talks between the Wookiees and several Trandoshian chieftains. After three days of diplomatic entreaties, things turned…hostile. The Sith Empire dissuaded to Trandoshians from peace. In a mere two hours, everything that had been accomplished was destroyed. Twenty Wookiees, seventy-three Trandoshians, and eight Jedi were killed."

Anakin watched Aciel closely. This was the first time he saw a flicker of emotion in the usually stoic child. "But that was nothing compared to the Imperial fatalities. I myself cut down fifteen Sith." Aciel cleared his throat, "Never mind about this. It's time you get some sleep." The Chiss stood and walked out of the room; he nodded silently toward Padme who was now wearing her handmaiden robes. Kol'Arus walked about the ship to find a place to meditate. He hadn't thought of the fighting on Kashyyk for three years. When he returned to Tython, he immediately suppressed his memory and buried it. He studied the stars outside the window and sighed.

"Master Syo…where are you."

Qui Gon stepped into the room, but he immediately stopped. "You seem to be up early, Aciel. Couldn't sleep?" The Chiss chuckled as he continued doing freestyle handstand pushups. "I don't need sleep right now. I haven't exercised in…oh, about three thousand years and some odd days." Jinn chuckled and sat before shooting back up in shock, "Wait…three thousand years?! What are you talking about?!"

Aciel paused before placing his right arm behind him. He closed his eyes and continued doing vertical pushups with one arm. "I spent the past few hours using the ship's databanks. After much research and thinking, I have come to the conclusion that I was sent three thousand and eight years, seven standard months, one standard week, and four standard days into the future…it was quite the surprise, you know."

Master Jinn watched in amazement as the bare chested Chiss continued to exercise. Even though he was only eleven years old, Aciel was pure, defined muscle. Not an ounce of body fat was found, and Qui Gon figured it was all due to the boy's intense training. "How were you able to travel into the future?" Aciel switched arms and continued exercising, "All will be explained when I speak to the Council. Who is the Grandmaster now? The ship's databanks don't speak much of the Jedi Order."

"Master Yoda is the Order's Grandmaster." Aciel grunted as he slowed to test his endurance, "Tell me about him." Master Jinn raised an eyebrow at the boy's bluntness. "I thought you said the Council gave you a mission. You should know who Master Yoda is then, right?" Aciel did a flip and landed on his feet, "The mission was assigned to me millennia ago, Master. Master Satele, Grandmaster though she might have been, could not have survived this long. I would have sensed her already."

Qui Gon nodded in understanding, "Well, Master Yoda is now the second oldest Jedi in the galaxy. He is over 850 years old, and the wisest of the Order. He trained my master, and probably trained every single Jedi alive…one way or another." Aciel nodded and sat cross-legged on the floor as he took on a meditative posture. Everything in the room that was loose started to float in the air while the boy controlled his breathing.

"What Form does he use?"

Jinn once again raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?" Aciel closed his eyes and inhaled, "You use Ataru…what does Master Yoda use?" Qui Gon crossed his arms and relaxed. He felt the Force surround the child like a warm cloud. "He also uses Ataru. He is a master of every lightsaber form, and he is the most powerful Force wielder the Jedi have."

The two continued talking until they were notified they were approaching a Senate landing platform. Aciel stood and walked out of the room to find Anakin. The boy still had his outer cloak from earlier. The Chiss waded through the handmaidens and queen until he saw Anakin and Obi Wan chatting in the back. He walked up to them, "Good afternoon, Kenobi, Anakin. May I have my cloak back?" Anakin nodded and handed the folded white robe back to the blue skinned alien, who quickly put it on and straightened it.

Qui Gon made his way over, "All right. Chancellor Valorum and Senator Palpatine are waiting for us. We will leave first with Jar Jar Binks, and the Queen and her escorts will follow. Let's go." The ramp lowered and the three Jedi descended. Anakin and the Gungan quickly followed. The five bowed to the Chancellor and Senator and moved aside so they could greet the Queen of Naboo. Aciel studied the senator closely. He felt a deep disturbance in the Force, and it surrounded the aged man.

"Curious…"

Qui Gon and Kenobi looked down at the boy in confusion. Obi shifted his stance, "What is curious?" Aciel tilted his head toward the conversing queen and senator, "The darkside of the Force surrounds that man. Can't you sense it?" The two older Jedi glanced at each other, "No…there is nothing suspicious about him that we can sense. Perhaps you are sensing something else." Aciel was about to respond, but the chancellor walked up. Aciel stepped back to respectfully make room for him. Qui Gon bowed again, "It's good to see you again, Supreme Chancellor."

"You as well, Master Jedi. I was deeply concerned when I received your message, but I am incredibly happy to see you've survived your ordeal." His eyes wandered down to the white-robed alien, "And who might you be?" Aciel pulled his hood down and gave a deep bow, "I am Jedi Master Aciel'Kol'Arus. It is an honor, your Excellency." Kenobi's and Valorum's eyes widened, "A Jedi Master?! How old are you, child?"

Aciel hid his slight irritation, "I am eleven years old…give or take a millennium." Valorum was going to press the issue, but Jinn cleared his throat, "We must speak with the Jedi Council immediately, your Honor. The situation has become…more complicated." Chancellor Valorum nodded in farewell before Qui Gon motioned for Anakin to go with Queen Amidala and her escort. He looked down at the Chiss who was pulling his hood back up, "We will go to the Council now. You can speak to them soon."

Aciel stood outside what he was told were the Jedi High Council chambers. Needless to say, when he first approached the temple, he was completely stunned into silence. The new temple was beautiful and massive. The Chiss silently wondered if the old temple looked like this before the Sith destroyed it.

Now he was waiting for the Council to summon him, but he first had to wait for Master Jinn to finish reporting on the mission. He decided to sit on the large window sill and meditate. He crossed his legs and clasped his hands together in his lap before opening himself to the Force. He withheld a gasp when he felt how incredible the Jedi Temple truly was. Thousands of beings inhabited the building; the power of Ashla was almost physical. Yet…darkness also resided there.

He inclined his mind toward the lower levels of the temple and found where the darkness radiated from. Aciel knew exactly what it was…the Sith shrine was built over a massive Force nexus, and the Chiss felt the darkness keenly. He didn't know how the other Jedi could live with such darkness around them. Aciel suddenly felt someone try to probe his mind; he allowed them to do so until he found who was doing it. One of the Jedi Council members was reaching out to Kol'Arus.

The boy sighed and abruptly cut off the other Jedi's mind probe. He disliked it when others tried to enter his mind without permission. He turned his senses to those inside the chambers; every single Jedi radiated wisdom and power, but that was to be expected. The Jedi Council was made up of the twelve wisest and greatest Jedi in the galaxy. There were a few members that had been touched by darkness, and Aciel made a mental note of who they were.

Eventually, the doors slid open. Kenobi and Jinn walked out quietly, but Aciel sensed great turmoil from the light haired padawan. Qui Gon turned to him, "The Council is waiting, child. You may go in now." Aciel slowly stood from his perch and straightened his white robes. With a small nod, he entered the illustrious chambers.

As soon as the large doors slid shut, Aciel knelt on his right knee with his covered hands touching the decorated floor. His white hood was still up so the other Jedi couldn't look at his face. He waited patiently for a few moments until a gravelly voice broke the silence, "Rise you can, child. Stand in front of us and bow, you should." Aciel silently rose, walked to the center of the room while pulling his hood down, and gave a low bow.

He stood silently; his red eyes studying the four figures he could see without turning. On his left in order, A Cerean, one of the Unknown Species, a human, and a Kel-Dor. Aciel recognized the speech pattern of the Unknowns, so he rested his gaze on the one Jinn had called Yoda. "Your name we request, young one."

The boy gave a bow again with his arms at his sides, "I am Master Aciel'Kol'Arus, Master Yoda." Whispering broke over the group, but Yoda merely chuckled and intently studied the child in front of him. "Know my name, do you?" Aciel nodded and straightened his back, "Yes. Master Jinn described the Council to me on our journey here."

"If you were truly a Jedi Master, then you should already know who we are." The brown-skinned man with a bald head leaned forward. His stare was intense, but Aciel didn't think much of it. "The reason I did not know, Master Windu, is because I am from approximately three thousand years in the past. Jedi have a tendency to come and go over the millennia." More whispering broke out among the members.

The Cerean crossed his leg and shifted in his seat, "How are we to know you come from so far in the past? What proof do you have that you are even a Jedi?" A Zabrak seated behind Aciel nodded, "Indeed. For example, where is your lightsaber?" The Chiss turned so his back was toward the Council doors. "I gave my lightsaber to one of the Council members before I was taken. I do not know where it is now, Master Koth."

"There are many in this galaxy that are attuned to the Force…you may be able to use the Force, but that does not make you a Jedi." Aciel's red eyes turned upon Mace Windu. "I am a Jedi. I passed my trials, and I have been ranked as a master." The human scoffed and looked at the Grandmaster. Yoda studied the boy silently, "Hm…difficult to see, your past is. Blocked us from seeing it, you have."

Aciel nodded, "Yes. There is no reason for me to deceive you so there is no reason for you to search my mind." The Kel-Dor unclasped his hands, "Who trained you in the Jedi ways, child?" The boy turned again to face the master, "The entire Council trained me, but I was usually taught by Master Till'in and Master Syo Bakarn." The Thisspiasian Jedi nodded quietly, "Syo Bakarn belongs to our Honored Ones. We recovered his holocron fifteen years ago, Master Yoda. If…Aciel was indeed a student of an Honored One, there would definitely be a record of him in the holocron."

Plo Koon stood and bowed to the Council, "If you will excuse me, I will go retrieve the holocron for the Council." Windu agreed silently, allowing the Kel-Dor to depart. Aciel stood in the silence as he felt the eleven other masters attempt to search his mind and spirit. "Able to avoid our inspection, you are. Feel afraid, do you?" Aciel shook his head, "No, Master."

"If you have nothing to hide, then why shield yourself?" The Chiss cracked his finger beneath his long white sleeve, "Any questions you have, I will answer. There is no need to test me in this way. I have grown up in the Order; if I was untrustworthy…would I be ranked as a master?"

Yoda hummed in thought as he considered the boy's words. "Use the Force, you can?" Aciel nodded silently. "Prove it to us, will you?" The Chiss closed his eyes and calmed his mind. In an instant, Mace Windu's lightsaber flew from the man's waist and landed in Aciel's palm. He ignited it and held it in a defensive form. An atmosphere of uneasiness fell on the Council until Aciel extinguished the purple blade and walked up to Master Windu, respectfully holding it out to him with both hands.

By the time Windu took his lightsaber back and the room calmed down, Master Plo returned from the archives. "Here is Master Bakarn's holocron. Shall I activate it?" Yoda looked at the glowing blue and purple box. Aciel felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him; he immediately recognized the holocron from his lessons. "Recognize this, do you, Aciel?"

"Yes."

"Activate, can you?" Aciel studied the glowing box as his mind wandered over his lessons on Tython. "Yes." Plo Koon handed the holocron to the boy; he sighed and levitated it in front of him. Kol'Arus gently set it on the floor as a holographic image flickered on. Aciel felt his heart grow heavy when he saw his uncle's face again. He had more wrinkles on his face than what the Chiss remembered.

"I am Syo Bakarn, Master of the Jedi Order. I have been tasked with filling this holocron with my knowledge and experiences. Ask and I will answer."

Aciel looked at Yoda and saw him nodding his permission to continue. The Chiss straightened and gave a small bow, "Master Bakarn, tell me about Aciel'Kol'Arus. Was he a padawan of yours?" The image took on a somber look and pain filled Syo's face.

"Aciel'Kol'Arus was appointed as a Master of the Order at the age of eleven. He belonged to the Chiss species, and remained with his mother on Csilla until he was five. For six years I taught my adopted nephew the noble art of healing, the Jedi Code, and diplomacy."

Bakarn's face became strained as he continued, "He was the most powerful Jedi we had seen in generations, surpassing even Grandmaster Satele's abilities in the Force. He was the fastest learner and one of the most gifted students I had the opportunity of teaching."

The Council was silent as it listened to the hologram. They could almost feel the Honored One's regret and sadness. Master Windu leaned forward again; his curiosity had been peaked. "What happened to him? Why do you speak of him in past tense?" The image sighed and crossed his arms, "The very day he was promoted to the rank of master, he, along with Master Tol Braga and myself, were sent on a mission to Hoth. The Republic SIS sent information that Darth Nox of the Dark Council and his apprentice had unearthed an ancient Rakatan device of unknown power. We three masters were to take separate special force squads to a designated location. The plans were finalized, but we soon received a message from Master Acena of the Council, young Aciel's mother, saying she was being attacked by the Defiant."

The Council listened as the Honored One relayed everything that happened up until Aciel took the artifact and disappeared. They were incredibly surprised and concerned. "Once the youngest master in the Order disappeared, we suddenly found the Force become remarkably unbalanced. The galaxy spun into chaos and disorder, and the Republic found itself conquered by an empire from the Unknown Regions. Grandmaster Satele, Master Yuon Par, and I searched the entire galaxy for ten years, but it was obvious…Aciel'Kol'Arus is gone. All that is left is his lightsaber that he gave to me before his untimely death." A long hilted lightsaber levitated in front of Syo before disappearing again.

"My dear nephew, should you be alive and find this…I am deeply sorry. I could have protected you from Darth Nox, but my weakness has failed you. I know you always followed the Will of the Force, but I still believe you were taken too soon." With a final nod, the image flickered out. The room was silent until Yoda broke the silence, "Speak the truth, you did. Apologize, we do, for doubting such a strong master of the Order. Invite you to stay with us at the temple, I do."

Aciel shook his head and used the Force to bring the closed holocron to his hand, "I understand your hesitation. It is not every day a child comes and claims to be a Jedi master…if I have your permission, I would like to keep this for a few days. It is…comforting." Yoda nodded with a smile, "Of course. Assign you a room, one of the Temple knights will. However, a new weapon, you will need…" Ki Adi Mundi cleared his throat and stood, "As a matter of fact, I recognize the lightsaber. We keep it in the Archive treasury."

Kol'Arus gave a small smile, "I would like it back, please." The Cerean nodded, "Certainly, but there is a problem. It does not work. Our engineers have tried to find what the problem was, but they found nothing unusual." Aciel chuckled and cracked his fingers again, "I chose the crystal and such myself. The lightsaber will most likely only answer to me." A murmur of agreement spread amongst the other masters. Mace Windu stood, signaling the meeting was over. "We will show you the place we keep your lightsaber…and perhaps you would be willing to show us what you have learned?"

The boy noticed the brown-skinned man acted much kinder and more polite toward him. Why? He didn't know, but neither did he care. Other Jedi were rude to him before but Aciel was always told it was because they envied him. The Council dispersed to go about their duties, but Windu, Yoda, Mundi, and Koon all walked with the child to the Jedi Archives. Qui Gon and Kenobi were standing in one of the corridors; they saw the Council members and Aciel so they decided to join them.

Master Plo enlightened Jinn and his padawan as the group made their way down dozens of levels in the temple. They entered the Archives before locating the Treasury. It took fifteen minutes for the Chief Librarian to find the lightsaber, but eventually Madam Jocasta found it. She brought out a glass display case with the lightsaber elegantly displayed inside.

Aciel pulled his lightsaber from the box, much to the increasing behest of Jocasta Nu, and weighed it in his hands. "Hello, my friend. It's been a long time." Almost immediately the dull white crystal burned a bright orange and a slight hum was heard by the Jedi. The Chiss smiled and ignited his lightsaber, casting the lovely familiar orange glow of its blade. Yoda nodded his satisfaction, "For five hundred years have the Jedi attempted to activate this. Beautiful it is."

"Yes…it is." Aciel quickly extinguished the weapon and clipped it to his left hip. He straightened his white robes and looked down to the ancient master. "I am willing to demonstrate my lightsaber and Force skills. Who will I be going against?"

Master Windu crossed his arms and turned, "We will go to one of the training rooms. We can decide your opponent there."


	4. Chapter 4: The Bureaucracy

PREVIOUSLY

Aciel shook his head and used the Force to bring the closed holocron to his hand, "I understand your hesitation. It is not every day a child comes and claims to be a Jedi master…if I have your permission, I would like to keep this for a few days. It is…comforting." Yoda nodded with a smile, "Of course. Assign you a room, one of the Temple knights will." Ki Adi Mundi cleared his throat and stood, "As a matter of fact, I recognize the lightsaber. We keep it in the Archive treasury."

Kol'Arus gave a small smile, "I would like it back, please." The Cerean nodded, "Certainly, but there is a problem. It does not work. Our engineers have tried to find what the problem was, but they found nothing unusual." Aciel chuckled and cracked his fingers again, "I chose the crystal and such myself. The lightsaber will most likely only answer to me." A murmur of agreement spread amongst the other masters. Mace Windu stood, signaling the meeting was over. "We will show you the place we keep your lightsaber…and perhaps you would be willing to show us what you have learned?"

The boy noticed the brown-skinned man acted much kinder and more polite toward him. Why? He didn't know, but neither did he care. Other Jedi were rude to him before but Aciel was always told it was because they envied him. The Council dispersed to go about their duties, but Windu, Yoda, Mundi, and Koon all walked with the child to the Jedi Archives. Qui Gon and Kenobi were standing in one of the corridors; they saw the Council members and Aciel so they decided to join them.

Master Plo enlightened Jinn and his padawan as the group made their way down dozens of levels in the temple. They entered the Archives before locating the Treasury. It took fifteen minutes for the Chief Librarian to find the lightsaber, but eventually Madam Jocasta found it. She brought out a glass display case with the lightsaber elegantly displayed inside.

Aciel pulled his lightsaber from the box, much to the increasing behest of Jocasta Nu, and weighed it in his hands. "Hello, my friend. It's been a long time." Almost immediately the dull white crystal burned a bright orange and a slight hum was heard by the Jedi. The Chiss smiled and ignited his lightsaber, casting the lovely familiar orange glow of its blade. Yoda nodded his satisfaction, "For five hundred years have the Jedi attempted to activate this. Beautiful it is."

"Yes…it is." Aciel quickly extinguished the weapon and clipped it to his left hip. He straightened his white robes and looked down to the ancient master. "I am willing to demonstrate my lightsaber and Force skills. Who will I be going against?"

Master Windu crossed his arms and turned, "We will go to one of the training rooms. We can decide your opponent there."

The six Jedi masters and padawan arrived at one of the training rooms. Aciel studied the layout closely; it appeared to be in a square shape about 60'x60'. It was two stories high with stands and seats circling the entire room. The lights were slightly dimmer, but it provided a slightly warmer atmosphere. The Chiss looked toward the group of initiates that were being taught by a Nautolan male. When the masters approached them, the teacher immediately bowed with a small smile, "Good afternoon, Masters! To what do we owe this honor?"

"Excuse the interruption, Master Fisto. Another master of the Order, Master Qui Gon has found. Here to watch a demonstration of his abilities, we are." Aciel gave a respectful bow toward the one named Fisto. The tall male flashed another smile; Kol'Arus figured it was an attempt to disarm his suspicion. Mace Windu crossed his arms and sighed, "We were going to decide Aciel's opponent to test his knowledge of the Force and lightsaber combat."

The Nautolan flashed another good-natured smile and stepped to the side. "I have a class of initiates here. I was about to have them practice sparring…perhaps I can select one of them to spar. Nahdar?" Windu and Yoda glanced at each other, "A Jedi Master, young Aciel is. Too young and inexperienced for him, an Initiate would be. Therefore, spar with him, you shall." The initiates and other masters looked at each other in surprise; Kit Fisto was a renowned duelist in the Order, and having a child spar against him was rather…unusual to say the least.

Aciel looked up at the tall master and nodded his agreement. Kit returned the nod so the group dispersed into the stands on the second and third floors. The Chiss waited until Fisto's class also joined the knights and masters to watch. Once all of the Jedi and initiates were seated and ready, Plo Koon, having finished talking with two Council members, stood and addressed the assembly, "We are gathered here to observe the ancient ways of our Order. Before us is the only living student of Syo Bakarn, the Honored One. Let us offer an example of our respect to the Jedi Order's youngest master in all our history!"

Everyone in the room either clapped or gave deep bows in respect. Aciel gave a small, strained smile and nodded in return. He disliked attention, and he always took great effort to avoid being under the eyes of the populace. Whenever he earned a victory in battle or in negotiations, he always stepped into the shadows so someone else could get the credit…although Master Syo and Master Braga always made certain the Council knew all the details of his successes.

"Masters Koth and Rancisis have poured through the Archives and found that Kol'Arus was taught by each of the Jedi Council in the days of the Old Republic. Therefore, the Council has unanimously decided to grant Master Aciel'Kol'Arus the title of Honored One as well!" A round of applause sounded until the Kel-Dor held up his hands for silence. "And now, Master Kit Fisto will be sparring against Aciel the Honored One! Masters, are you ready?"

Aciel and Kit both nodded to each other and then to Plo Koon. The Kel-Dor pulled a white cloth from his seat and held it out, "Then let the spar…BEGIN!" He dropped the cloth, signaling the start of the match. Fisto and Kol'Arus watched the white cloth fall; as soon as it touched the floor, both masters ignited their lightsabers and jumped toward each other. The room was cast in an orange and green light as the two dueled. Every single initiate had their mouth open in astonishment. They had never seen anything like what was happening right in front of them. Even then, many padawans, knights, and even some masters were amazed at the lightsaber combat they were witnessing. None of them could even imagine coming so close to the two masters' skill.

Mace Windu and Yoda watched in silence; both knew that only a master could accomplish such expert usage of the lightsaber. Dozens of clashes filled the room and made their ears ring. Their experienced eyes recognized the Nautolan's pure mastery of Shii-Cho, but it was obvious he was being overwhelmed with the Chiss child's reflexes and skill. Neither recognized, however, Aciel's lightsaber form. It was a flawless mixture of defense and offense. Windu figured that the only way Kit survived so long was through his experience.

The sound of something crashing against the stone wall filled the tense room. Obi Wan gaped in shock, "I…I can't believe it!" Crumpled on the floor was none other than Master Kit Fisto. Aciel stepped forward, revealing the Nautolan's activated lightsaber in his left hand. He silently stepped closer to the older Jedi, "Yield, Master Fisto." In a flash, Kit swept his leg around and made contact with Aciel's right ankle, sending the boy to the floor. Before Kol'Arus could hit the stone, Fisto used the Force to aggressively push him into the wall on the other side of the room.

The Chiss' long blue hair whipped around his face as he soared through the air. His back hit the wall, making a loud 'crack' resound. He slid down the wall and sat on the floor. Kit Fisto quickly stood and used the Force to grapple his lightsaber back; he also used the chance to pull Aciel's lightsaber from the boy's hand as well. With both green and orange blades ignited, he quickly switched to Jar'Kai. "You are the one who should yield, Honored One." Aciel sighed and slowly stood, wincing when he felt his shoulder blade sting, "I see no reason why I should yield. This match is not over yet."

"You are weaponless and in pain. End this now. Yield to me." Aciel chuckled and pulled his hair back, wrapping it into a bun and tightly tucking the ends. He cracked his knuckles and pulled off his inner tunic as well. "There is no need for a weapon; the Force is all I need." Fisto whirled both blades and ran toward the Chiss, but Aciel simply smiled. He held out his hands and summoned the Force. The observing masters and knights felt the room fill with energy and the power of the Force. Green and orange blades fell, but they stopped inches from Aciel's face.

With a smirk, Kol'Arus roundhouse kicked the Nautolan a dozen feet back. He held his hands in front of him and grasped the air; with a sharp tug, Aciel used the Force to wrench the lightsabers from Kit's hands. They fell to the stone floor, causing a small metallic clang to sound in the room. "Now, we are both weaponless. Or are we?" With another deep breath and a flick of his wrists, Aciel forced Fisto to kneel on the floor, "Yield, Master Fisto." The Nautolan fought against the child's power, but he felt his strength leaving him.

The Chiss frowned and pressed down even harder, "I said. YIELD." Aciel pressed the master down to where he was on his hands and knees. "I…I yield." Aciel relaxed his grip on the older master before helping him up. "It was a pleasure, Master Fisto." The older creature coughed and gripped Aciel's index and forefinger with his own, "I agree, Honored One." They both looked at the stands when they heard shouts and applause. The crowd dispersed and Kit Fisto left with his class.

"Impressive that was, Honored One. Truly magnificent those old days of learning must have been." Aciel nodded with a small frown toward the ancient master as he pulled on his robes. "Sometimes, Master Yoda, sometimes." Yoda 'hm'ed in thought as he felt sadness in Aciel's heart. He nodded in understanding; the boy was obviously forged in an era of war and turmoil. Qui Gon and Kenobi left to retrieve young Skywalker as soon as the match finished, leaving Aciel to talk privately with Yoda and Mace Windu.

The three slowly walked down the massive corridors of the temple. Aciel looked around in amazement and wonder. The temple was absolutely stunning…but the Chiss couldn't help but feel closed in. He desperately missed the gardens of Tython. Wandering the mountains with uxibeasts and the manka cats he had tamed. "By the way, Master Kol'Arus, I was wondering which combat form you were using against Master Fisto…"

The sound of Windu's voice brought the Chiss back into reality. "It was a form that my mother, my uncle, and I created together. The Council thought it rather dangerous for average acolytes and padawans to learn though." Yoda steadily walked forward in thought, "Heard rumors of an ancient, secret lightsaber form, I did. Hundreds of years ago, it was. Called Ka'Char, I believe it was." Kol'Arus 'hm'ed in thought like the ancient master. "Ka'Chata Nora…the Way of the Shadow."

"The Way of the Shadow? Why did you call it that?" Windu took a keen interest in Aciel's lightsaber form. He himself had perfected vapaad, but what the Chiss performed…it was clearly superior to his. "It can only be used by those who walk in the shadows, those who stand in the balance of Ashla and Bogan. It can only be used by those who follow both the darkside and the light." The three masters continued talking as they slowly made their way back to the High Council chambers. "Ask you, Honored One, I must. Believe that the attacker was a Sith, do you?"

Aciel crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought. After a few minutes in silence, the Chiss opened his eyes and looked at the ancient Jedi, "Yes. I do."

After being shown his new quarters, Aciel was given some of the more traditional tunics and robes to wear about the temple. He chose a dark blue almost black ensemble with a black outer robe. Now, he made his way up to the Kashyyyk representative's box. He looked up at the seven foot tall Wookiee and bowed, "Honorable Representative of the Kashyyyk, I would beg a favor from you." The massive creature studied the Jedi for a few moments before agreeing to listen.

"I am Jedi Master Aciel'Kol'Arus. I would ask your permission to watch the proceedings from your section." Immediately, the Wookiee elder stood aside and held out a hand toward one of the empty seats. He grunted and gave a short growl as he followed Aciel into the box. "Representative Yarua. It is an honor. I have always admired your people. You know, I was good friends with one of your chieftains…Br'roca the Ancient." The stunned Wookiee was about to say something, but the Senate was called to order. "The Chair recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Naboo."

Immediately, the congressional box floated into the center of the main rotunda. Aciel's pupil-less eyes found the senator Sheev Palpatine; there was definitely something off about the human, but the Jedi couldn't figure it out. He leaned forward in his seat as Palpatine began his address to the thousands of senators. "Supreme Chancellor, delegates of the Senate. A tragedy has occurred on our peaceful system of Naboo. We have become caught in a dispute that you are all well aware of, which began right here with the taxation of trade routes, and has now engulfed our entire planet in the oppression of the Trade Federation."

Aciel glanced toward a second floating capsule that held several Nemoidians. Senator Yarua quietly informed Kol'Arus that the senator's name was Lott Dod of the Trade Federation. "This is outrageous! I object to the Senator's statements!" The booming voice of the chancellor quickly silenced the objection, "The Chair does NOT recognize the Senator from the Trade Federation at this time. Please, return to your station." Lott Dod frowned, but did as Valorum demanded. Palpatine, with a hint of a smirk, continued, "To state our allegations, I present Queen Amidala, the recently elected ruler of Naboo, to speak on our behalf."

A woman dressed in deep red and gold stepped up toward the panel. Aciel immediately recognized Padme, which answered many of his unspoken questions. He rested in his chair and crossed his arms; this was going to be interesting. "Honorable representative of the Republic, distinguished delegates, and Your Honor Supreme Chancellor Valorum, I come to you under the gravest of circumstances. The Naboo system has been invaded by force. Invaded…against all the laws of the Republic by the Droid Armies of the Trade—"

"I object! There is no proof! This is incredible. We recommend a commission be sent to Naboo to ascertain the truth!" Once again, Valorum overruled Dod's objection, but this time the Nemoidian would not be dissuaded. "Your Honor, you cannot possibly allow us to be condemned without reasonable observation! It's against every rule of procedure." A third platform hovered out; Yarua once again leaned over to Aciel and told him the senator's name was Aks Moe of Malastare…and was also in league with the Trade Federation. "The Congress of Malastare concurs with the honorable delegate from the Trade Federation. A commission must be appointed…that is the law!"

Aciel shook his head and silently rubbed his chin in thought. Even after thousands of years, the Republic was still governed by bureaucrats that favored money and secret alliances instead of the benefit of their governed peoples. The Chiss' red eyes noticed Palpatine whispering in the ear of Queen Amidala. No doubt he was 'foretelling' was what going to happen…perhaps to discredit someone? "The point is conceded…Section 523A clearly takes precedence here. Queen Amidala of the Naboo, will you defer your motion to allow a commission to explore the validity of your accusations?"

The young Jedi master felt a wave of anger come from Padme, but she showed nothing. Only her voice revealed her hidden rage, "I will NOT defer…I have come before you to resolve this attack on our sovereignty NOW! I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee! If this body is not capable of action, I suggest new leadership is needed. I move for a 'vote of no confidence'…in Chancellor Valorum's leadership." A massive stir began in the assembled politicians. What was once a murmur grew quickly into a roar of approval and jeering. Valorum's face was stained with the pain of betrayal and shock. The Vice Chair stood and pounded his staff on the floor of the center pedestal.

"Order! We shall have order!" A third congression box joined Naboo's and the Federation's. "Alderaan seconds the motion for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum!" The Vice Chair, Mas Amedda, glanced toward the Chancellor, "The motion has been seconded by Bail Organa of Alderaan." Aciel's eyebrow raised in surprise; last he knew, Alderaan was on the brink of complete and utter civil war and had withdrawn from the Republic. Now, it seems things have settled on the beautiful planet.

Organa nodded toward Amidala in respect before turning his attention back toward the cacophony of senators. "There must be no delays. The motion is on the floor and must be voted upon in this session." Lott Dod pounded his hand upon his lectern, "The Trade Federation moves the motion be sent to the procedures committee for study!" Aciel looked around the Senate as he heard the chant 'Vote Now!" echo from thousands of voices. He sighed and looked toward Senator Yarua, "My hopes for a greater Republic seems to have abated. Even after three thousand years, politicians and their corruption are the same."

Yarua nodded with a fierce look of disappointment. "The Supreme Chancellor requests a recess. Tomorrow, we will begin the vote." Aciel sighed once more before standing and bowing toward the Kashyyyk senator, "I am extremely grateful, Senator Yarua. If you ever need something, I, as a Jedi and as a friend to the Wookiees, would be more than willing to assist." Aciel pulled up his black hood and walked out amidst the booing and jeering of the Republic Senate.

The sun was setting by the time Aciel returned to his quarters in the Jedi Temple. He was just about to change when someone rang on his door. "Yes?" A temple guard stood outside the door with clasped hands behind his back, "Apologies, Honored One. The High Council has summoned you. I am to escort you to their chambers." Aciel sighed and nodded, "Very well. Thank you." With a simple flick of his wrist, the Chiss' lightsaber flew into his hand before he clipped it to his belt. The duo made their way up the center tower to the Council chamber doors. With a brief nod, the guard walked away while Aciel straightened his robes and entered.

Kol'Arus walked to the center of the room and gave a low bow toward Master Yoda, "You summoned me, Master?" The small Jedi nodded with a smile, "Yes, Honored One. Unable to attend this session, Master Koon is. Invite you to sit among us, we do." Aciel gave another bow, "I would be honored, Masters." The Chiss took the empty seat next to Mace Windu and clasped his hands. Ki-Adi Mundi looked toward Aciel with a thoughtful expression, "We hope you have adjusted to our…time. Have you had a chance to see the Republic of today?"

"I have, Master Mundi. I just finished watching Queen Amidala's address to the Senate." Yarael Poof shifted his position as he cleared his throat, "We have heard the news. She has cast a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum. It is…alarming." The other council members murmured their agreement; Mace Windu leaned forward with a serious expression, "Suddenly, there is a vacuum in the power structure. We are concerned which path this could take the Republic…you were there, Master Kol'Arus. Do you have any ideas of who might become the new Supreme Chancellor?"

Aciel closed his eyes and crossed his legs in thought, "I noticed that Senator Palpatine was whispering in Queen Amidala's ear right before the vote of no confidence. It would be reasonable that she would heed his advice since he is a trusted confidante. I must inform you though…when I first met this Sheev Palpatine, I felt a disturbance in the Force. I believe it centered around this man, but Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi claimed to feel nothing unusual." The masters glanced at each other as they processed this new information. "Meditate on this, we will. A disturbance felt by the Honored One, not something to ignore it is."

Windu nodded again, "Agreed." The Council began talking about the fate of young Skywalker and constantly asked Syo Bakarn's student his advice and thoughts. Soon enough, the twelve masters came to a decision.

About forty-five minutes later, Qui Gon and Kenobi were summoned along with Anakin Skywalker. When they entered, all three were somewhat shocked that Aciel sat amongst the other masters. The two Jedi quickly suppressed their surprise, but Anakin couldn't help but constantly glance toward Aciel. Yoda 'hm'ed in thought before beginning, "Finished with the boy's examination, we are. Correct you were, Qui Gon." Windu nodded and leaned back in his seat, "His cells contain a very high concentration of midichlorians."

"The Force is strong with him," Ki-Adi inclined his head toward Anakin. Qui Gon nodded with a slight smile of relief, "He is to be trained then?" The Council shared brief looks with each other before Mace shook his head, "No. He will not be trained." Aciel felt a wave of emotion from Anakin. Pain, anger, disappointment. If such a decision could bring such strong emotion from the boy…

Jinn, however, was not willing to back down, "No?!" Windu's brown eyes narrowed as he studied the aging master. "He is too old." Aciel leaned forward, "There is too much anger and arrogance in him, Master Jinn. He will not be able to follow the path of the Jedi." The elder human guffawed at Aciel before returning his gaze towards Master Yoda. "He IS the Chosen One! You must see it!" Yoda rubbed his chin as he looked to Anakin, "Hmmm. Clouded this boy's future is. Masked by his youth, his destiny is." There was a pregnant pause in the room until Qui Gon placed a hand on Skywalker's shoulder, "I will train him then. I take Anakin Skywalker as my Padawan Learner."

Once more, Aciel feels a wave of surprise and anger…but it did not come from Anakin. Rather, it was Obi Wan. Aciel, Yoda, and Windu shared a look, "An apprentice you already have, Qui Gon. Impossible to take on a second." Kol'Arus nodded in agreement, "The Code forbids it." Even during his time, Aciel knew the tenets of the Jedi Code did not permit taking on more than one apprentice. It bred jealousy and hatred amongst the initiates and padawans.

"Obi Wan is ready…" The Padawan stepped forward with an excited air, "I am ready to face the trials!" Yoda frowned deeply, "Ready so early, are you? What know you of ready? Our own council we will keep on who is ready." Qui Gon and Kenobi shared rather heated glances before continuing, "He is headstrong, and he has much to learn about the Living Force, but he is capable. There is little more he can learn from me." Aciel shook his head and steepled his fingers, "Now is not the time for this. The Senate is voting for a new Supreme Chancellor and Queen Amidala is returning home. This will put pressure on the Federation, and could widen the confrontation."

Master Mundi nodded, "And draw out the Queen's attacker. Events are moving too fast for distractions such as this." Windu continued on, "Go with the Queen to Naboo and discover the identity of the dark warrior. The Honored One will join you so we can unravel the mystery of the Sith."

"Young Skywalker's fate will be decided later." Qui Gon, still keeping his hands on the boy's shoulders, glanced toward Aciel, "I brought Anakin here; he must stay in my charge. He has nowhere else to go." The Chiss gave a small, kind smile. "He is your ward, Master Jinn. We cannot and will not dispute that."

Yoda pointed his gimmer stick at Anakin, "But train him not. Take him with you, but train him NOT."

"Protect the Queen, but do not intercede if it comes to war until we have the Senate's approval." Aciel stood from his chair and looked to the other members, "We will leave immediately, Masters. May the Force be with us."


	5. The Battle

Kol'Arus, Kenobi, and Jinn walked together toward the Nubian. The master and padawan duo had been arguing ever since they left the Council chambers. While he was a patient person, Aciel was getting extremely irritated. "It's not disrespect, Master! It's the truth!" Qui Gon frowned and shook his head, "From your point of view…" Obi Wan groaned, "The boy is DANGEROUS. They all sense it. Even the Honored One! Why can't you?" Aciel glanced up at the human, "Leave me out of this." Jinn turned sharply toward his student, "His fate is uncertain, but he is not dangerous. The Council will decide Anakin's future…that should be enough for you. Now. Get on board." Obi Wan sighed and obeyed his master while Aciel silently followed him.

After finding some quiet place, Aciel finally began to unwind. He pulled off his black outer cloak and draped it across one of the chairs in the room. The Chiss sat in a corner before crossing his legs and entering a meditative frame of mind. His red eyes shut as the Force began swirling around him. His thoughts centered on the past few days. There was definitely something wrong with Senator Palpatine…and even more wrong with Anakin Skywalker. Master Yoda was entirely correct; the boy's future was clouded.

The door slid open and Master Jinn walked inside the room with Anakin. The two humans stood in silence when they saw Aciel. Of course, silence never quite went with the Skywalker. "Master Qui Gon, what's Aciel doing?" The aged human smiled down at the boy, "The Honored One is meditating. Jedi often do it to clear their minds and commune with the Force. We are taught to do so at a very young age."

Anakin nodded silently as he studied Aciel. He never noticed it before, but the alien looked even wearier than he originally thought. There was also a slight scar on his chin that was barely noticeable. The young Skywalker secretly wondered if Aciel received it in battle or an accident. It...kind of looked good on him. After another few moments in silence, Anakin decided to visit the Nubian cockpit.

FIVE HOURS LATER

Aciel stood in the Queen's Chambers to discuss her reasons for returning to Naboo. His red, pupil-less eyes studied the queen and her handmaidens closely. He was joined by Jinn and Panaka while Jar Jar and Kenobi watched. He wasn't exactly certain why the Queen summoned him, but he attended regardless. After all, one does not lightly refuse a queen. The young Jedi sighed and crossed his arms, "Your Highness, are you certain this is wise? By returning to the Naboo system, you are inciting the Trade Federation to action…an animal becomes far more dangerous when it is backed into a corner."

Padme looked at the Chiss in surprised irritation, "I cannot allow my people to suffer more than they already have. Surely, as a Jedi, you believe in compassion." Aciel shook his head, "Compassion has its merits as well as its place. If you are captured, then your people, the ones you are trying to save, will lose their freedoms and will surrender altogether. They will become slaves. With respect, you are allowing your concern to cloud your reasoning. Patience is needed here." Captain Panaka nodded and stepped forward, "The moment we land, the Federation will arrest you, and force you to sign the treaty."

"I agree…I'm not sure what you hope to accomplish by this." Master Jinn touched his beard in thought. He couldn't understand why the woman was ignoring the advice she asked for. Amidala frowned once more, "I'm going to take back what is ours." Ever the strategist, Panaka spoke up again, "There are only thirteen of us, Your Highness…we have no army." Aciel cleared his throat, "Master Jinn and I are not authorized to fight a war for you, Your Highness. We can only protect you."

Amidala sighed and glanced behind Aciel, "Jar Jar." The Gungan looked around the room as if there was another named Jar Jar. "Mesa, Your Highness?" The queen nodded, "Yes. I need your help."

Aciel stood in the swamps with his arms crossed and his hood up. He doubted the Gungans would help the queen and her people. During his time, the two groups were still fighting a civil war to decide who would control the planet…obviously the humans won. He was keen on meeting the Gungan leaders once more; he had always admired their culture and technology. They managed to integrate their technological advances with nature instead of imposing it upon the environment around them.

His thoughts ended when Jar Jar emerged from the swamp lake and shook off the excess water, "Dare-sa nobody dare. All gone. Some kinda fight, I tink. Sorry…no Gungas. No Gungas." Captain Panaka gave the creature an apprehensive look, "Do you think they have been taken to camps?" Obi Wan scoffed, "More likely they were wiped out." Aciel shook his head and began walking back to the group, "I doubt that. The Gungans are a proud and resilient people. They would not die so quickly and easily. More than likely, they simply moved elsewhere."

Jar Jar nodded excitedly; he was happy to have another person to appreciate his culture and respect his kind. "Gungan hiden. When in trouble, go to sacred place. Mackineeks no find them dare." Master Jinn sighed, "Do you know where they are?" Kol'Arus raised an eyebrow, "Even if he did know, Master, it is called sacred for a reason. Outsiders are probably forbidden from entering." Padme shrugged with an indifferent expression, "We might as well try."

And so, with the group following the Gungans lead, they began walking to the Sacred Place. It took several more hours, but eventually Binks was able to locate the area. He began chattering until seven Gungan warriors riding Kaadus emerged from the brush. "Heyo-dalee, Captain Tarpals!"

"Binks…noah again…"

The clumsy alien had the decency to look abashed, "We comen to see da boss." The one named Tarpals sneered, "Ouch time, Binks…Ouch time for all-n yousa." The group was led through a clearing full of Gungan refugees. Aciel could feel their fear and worry radiate through the Force; obviously they were terrified that another attack was suspected. The Chiss looked around the ruins in admiration. One of the Gungan Jedi had described the place in detail and it was just like he said…except they were ruins now. A portly Gungan stood on top of a massive head with members of their council.

"Jar Jar, yousa payen dis time! Who's da uss-en others?" Queen Amidala stepped forward while her captain and the three Jedi stood behind her. "I am Queen Amidala of the Naboo…I come before you in peace." The circular leader frowned deeply as he beheld the woman who dared call herself queen. "Naboo biggen. Yousa bringen da Mackineeks…Dya busten uss-en om. Yousa all bombad. Yousa all die'n, mesa tink."

Aciel sent out huge waves of peace to settle the increasingly nervous group of humans. Kenobi glanced at the Chiss in awe when he felt his own hesitation lessen and peace warm his soul like a fire in the dead of winter. Aciel's control of the atmosphere also seemed to cause the Gungan warriors to question whether or not to actually attack the intruders. The Queen took another step closer, "We wish to form an alliance—"

"Your Honor…" Padme stepped forward to address Boss Nass. The leader straightened his posture and frowned even more, if that was possible. "Whosa dis?" Padme gave a small smile, "I am Queen Amidala. This is my decoy…my protection…my loyal bodyguard." Anakin's mouth dropped in shock while the three Jedi shared knowing looks. The woman continued with a passionate tone, "…I am sorry for my deception, but under the circumstances it has become necessary to protect myself. Although we do not always agree, Your Honor, our two great societies have always live in peace…until now."

The Honored One raised an eyebrow; clearly, the Queen of Naboo was ignorant of her own history. They did not live in peace. They fought against each other for hundreds of years…going so far as to almost commit genocide on both sides. "The Trade Federation has destroyed all that we have works so hard to build. You are in hiding, my people are in camps. If we do not act quickly, all will be lost forever…I ask you to help us…no, I beg you to help us." Padme dropped to her knees in a gamble on what Aciel had told her. The Gungans were a proud people. "We are your humble servants…our fate is in your hands." Every intruder dropped to his knees with the Jedi being the last. After a few moments in thought, Boss Nass began to laugh. Loudly.

"Yousa no tinken yousa greater den da Gungans…Mesa like dis. Maybe wesa bein friends." Aciel stood and watched the Queen shake hands with Nass. With an alliance officially formed, he felt now was an excellent time to mingle with several of the gathered Gungans. Thankfully, his old Jedi friend had given him enough pointers so he could understand their basic sentence structures and a little Gunganese. With a sigh and the cracking of his neck, he began to speak to the natives.

It took a full day to get everyone together and organized. The Gungans agreed to send their armies, and Captain Panaka scouted Theed for all details of the occupying force. Aciel stood with Jinn and Kenobi as the three of them studied a holographic image of the palace with Padme. The boy was bothered by the fact that the Gungans were going to be a distraction. Many lives would be lost…

His red eyes drifted up when Panaka walked up with another guard. Padme sighed in thankfulness when she saw the captain return from his mission. "What is the situation?" The soldier sighed, "Almost everyone's in camps. A few hundred police and guards have formed an underground movement. I brought as many of the leaders as I could. The Federation Army's also much larger than we thought, and much stronger." The man's face became sorrowful, "Your Highness, this is a battle I do not think we can win."

Amidala leaned against the table as she studied the holographic tactics, "The battle is a diversion. The Gungans must draw the Droid Army away from the cities. We can enter the city using the secret passages on the waterfall side. Once we get to the main entrance, Captain Panaka will create another diversion so that we can enter the palace and capture the Viceroy. Without him…they will be lost and confused." Padme gave a satisfied smile before looking over to the three Jedi, "What do you think, Master Jedi?" Qui Gon shook his head, "The Viceroy will be well guarded…"

Captain Panaka chuckled morbidly and pointed to a highpoint in the hologram, "The difficulty's getting into the throne room. Once we're inside, we shouldn't have a problem." The aged master nodded and glanced at Boss Nass, "There is a possibility with this diversion many Gungans will be killed." The rotund leader pounded his chest in pride, "Wesa ready to do are-sa part." Aciel nodded and crossed his arms, "I will also join the Gungan forces…I can take a portion of the forces and lead them into battle myself."

The two soldiers beside Padme scoffed while she guffawed in disbelief. Panaka pushed his hat up and leaned against the strategist's table, glaring at the boy, "You are just a child. What does a child know of leading an army?" Aciel returned the glare before leaning on the table as well, "For your information, I have seen more war and fought in more battles than you have ever seen or ever will see in a lifetime."

"Just because you played soldier in some peasant clashes doesn't mean you can lead an army!"

"Peasant…clashes?! I have led dozens of Special Forces squads not to mention Jedi Strike Teams against a vast and powerful Empire! What have you led, eh? A few hundred men wielding blasters against insurgents! This CHILD has more experience than you will ever hope to gain!" The two continued glaring at each other until Qui Gon chuckled and shook his head, "Save your restlessness for the battle, Honored One. We have a mission to complete. Now then, what are we to do once both teams have engaged?"

Padme, after stifling a laugh at her captain's annoyed and embarrassed face, cleared her throat, "We have a plan which should immobilize the Droid Army. We will send what pilots we have to knock out the Droid control ship which is orbiting the planet. If we can get past their ray shields, we can sever communication and their droids will be helpless." Aciel and Boss Nass quietly excused themselves to go over planning and assignment of the Gungan Armies. While Kol'Arus was hesitant to concede giving Jar Jar a leadership role of any kind, he felt that Binks deserved recognition for his assistance.

Nass decided to give the Chiss five squads of the best Gungan warriors to lead however he chooses. Binks would be a general and would command most of the army, but Aciel would get sole ownership of his squads. He was walking to inspect his squads when he felt a shift in the dark side of the Force. His sight blurred as he received a premonition of later events…Qui Gon would die…by the Sith. Aciel sighed and gently petted one of the Kaadu that walked over to comfort him. "Why would the Force show me this? A warning perhaps?" He tried to convince himself otherwise, but he knew that Jinn's death was now the will of the Force.

The time had come. The two teams wished each other good luck and separated for their respective missions. Aciel decided not to tell Obi Wan or Jinn of his vision. Any information might lead to an incident against the Force's will. Now, he walked through the swamps to the grass plains, leading his five squads along the left flank. His strategy depended on the fact that droids cannot think for themselves, hence they would charge toward the front lines simply because they were programmed to follow orders. Once they created a bulge in the Gungan lines, Kol'Arus and his squads would charge around the main force, cutting them off from reinforcement and safe retreat. From what he knew of Nemoidians, they were greedy and self-centered. Every droid cut down would be another droid that needed to be paid for. Greed, after all, was a powerful ally.

His red eyes scanned the horizon until he saw massive tanks heading toward the Gungan army. He pulled his lightsaber from his hip but left it deactivated. He had never seen tanks like those before. He wondered what the droids looked and acted like in the present day. General Tarpals ordered the ray shields to be activated, providing a perfect barrier between oncoming bombardment from the newly-arrived tanks. Aciel turned to his warriors and pulled down his hood, "Today we fight not for the Naboo, but for yourselves. Our duty is to the Gungan society and civilization. Therefore, fight with me. Follow me into battle, and your names will be carved upon the Stones of Glory." The five squads cheered and readied themselves to be deployed into the fight.

Almost too soon the tanks began firing, but they couldn't penetrate the shields. After several minutes of constant firing, the commander ordered a cease-fire. The Gungan army began cheering, but Aciel and his squads remained silent. They knew this was only the beginning. He pulled his black hood back up, "Wait for my signal…then follow me." He activated his lightsaber, causing the area around him to turn an orange color.

Thousands of battle droids activated as well, and gathered in formation. Aciel inhaled deeply and centered his mind onto the Force. Many would die today…not just in the plains, but in the city of Theed as well. The Force writhed as a wounded animal, informing the Chiss that the battle for the palace had begun. He opened his eyes to see the first wave of droids had entered the shield.

"Hold…" Blasters and glowing balls of blue energy went back and forth. The mechanical army pressed their advance as they pushed deeper into the Gungan lines. "Hold…" Both Gungans and droids fell as the battle turned into hand-to-hand combat. Aciel held his lightsaber up and out toward the side of the droid lines, "ATTACK!" With the Force aiding his speed, the Honored One moved swiftly around the waves of droids, slicing and using the Force to dismantle the machines. His squads were quickly following behind him, destroying any opponent that was unfortunate enough to get in their way. By the time Aciel reached the other side of the army, the second and third waves were completely shattered into pieces of smoldering metal.

Kol'Arus studied the battle and saw the Gungans in the center were pulling back due to suffering so many casualties. "Push through our army and destroy any droids you see! I'll support the center lines! Go!" Aciel used a Force jump to land near the center before running and taking the place of a recently fallen Gungan shield-wielder. The lightsaber blade became a single, constant wave of orange ribbon as the Honored Once deflected hundreds of blaster bolts using Ka'Chata Nora to allow the center to become reinforced. As more warriors plugged the holes in their own lines, Aciel began stepping forward to meet the droids head on.

Dozens of groans and yells filled the air as his fellow fighters fell beneath the torrent of blaster fire. Several droidekas rolled forward before opening and activating their own shield generators. He sighed and took a defensive posture while one of his squads flanked them and stabbed them with energy pikes. His muscles began to tire; it had been several years since he took part in such a battle. Once again, he allowed the Force to guide his movements and his blade. Around him grew a pile of metal attackers as he held the waves off. He was in the middle of another set when he saw energy balls usually used for catapults heading directly for him. He shook his head and deflected another shot, "Of course, it would be Binks." He jumped further into enemy lines and summoned the Force to push several rows of droids away, damaging them from their landings or short-circuiting them from the sudden jarring.

He was just about to call his squads to push forward when a stray shot had hit one of the shield generators, causing a sudden failure in the shield array. With their protection gone, the Gungans were now open to bombardment from the tanks that were waiting on the hill's peak. With a call to retreat, the Gungans turned and ran for the swamp. Aciel frowned, but continued his deflection of blaster fire. He sensed his five squads, all of whom had managed to survive so far, and called them to his side. They took defensive positions so they can hear their commander's orders. "The generals have called a retreat…we will cover their back so the army can reach the swamps. Separate by squad and spread out so the army's rear is protected. This may be our last act. Let us die with honor!"

His subordinates cheered and with determined faces, took their positions to slow the advance of their adversaries. Aciel maintained his position as droids charged ahead, stopping around him to attack the boy or passing to finish off the stragglers. His head pounded with every Gungan killed. Out of the corner of his right eye, he watched one of his squads surrounded and gunned down like savage animals. Once more, he used the Force to push the droids around him away as he stopped to catch his breath. Wave after wave kept marching forward and firing upon the army. It was a total rout. He laughed and Force-crushed four droids in front of him by clenching his fist. The Honored One felt elation that he could possibly become one with the Force, and he always had a small desire to die in battle, fighting for a just cause.

The orange blade was barely visible as he expertly swung it against his attackers and deflected blaster fire. Droids continued to fall before him as he slowly made his way toward the droid commander's tank. He observed they were following that particular droid's orders; if Aciel could destroy it, the Nemoidians would have to reroute a command droid's protocols and orders to another droid. That would take at least ten minutes…and that was ten minutes of total disorder and chaos that the Chiss fully intended to use.

Gungans and droids alike fell to the grass, and Death loomed over the once untouched grass plain. Kol'Arus grasped a tank with the Force and overturned it, causing it to explode and send a dozen droids into mechanical overload…or total annihilation. He tried to draw the droids' attention to him so the surviving Gungans could live to fight another day. The boy's smile never left his face as three tanks descended upon his position. His last remaining squad drew around him and continued battling the droids, "We-sa die wit you-sa, General! Dis-sa bery bombad day!" Aciel laughed and decapitated a droid before sending the pieces hurtling toward other machines. He remembered an ancient Chiss poem his mother would read to him…now it seemed perfect to quote. With one more laugh, Aciel proudly stood with his final squad and shouted a part of it for his men,

 **Alone stand the brave Defenders,  
But constant still in mind,  
Of thrice ten thousand foes before,  
And our comrades' blood behind!  
"Down with them!" cries the Invader  
With a smile on his cruel face!  
"We shall not yield," we all reply,  
"We all shall die with grace!"**

The Honored One's squad roared with courage and skill as they slowly became cut off from the Gungan Army. With the three tanks taking aim and several dozen droids raising their blasters, Aciel and his squad braced for the inevitable outcome. His red eyes widened as one of the tanks barrel lowered down a few yards from his face. One by one his warriors fell in brave death until Aciel was alone and completely surrounded.

With a content smile, he gave his body and spirit to the Force.


End file.
